Apple Expands Arcade with Classic Games
Apple Arcade has struggled to catch on since its September 2019 debut, with Apple canceling upcoming titles and changing direction last year (“Apple Reportedly Canceling Some Apple Arcade Games and Changing Direction,” 1 July 2020). Now we’re seeing what that new direction is: an influx of classic titles into the gaming service, split into two collections:
- Timeless Classics: New takes on classic tabletop games, like backgammon, checkers, chess, solitaire, and sudoku.
- App Store Greats: Updated versions of App Store hits, like Badland, Fruit Ninja, and Monument Valley (see “FunBITS: Badland for iOS,” 21 June 2013 and “FunBITS: Monument Valley for iPhone and iPad,” 25 April 2014).
Apple is still adding original titles to Apple Arcade, like Cut the Rope Remastered, Star Trek: Legends, and a new version of The Oregon Trail. (Maybe Apple Arcade needs a collection of all-time great games from the depths of time.) Will nostalgia be enough to give Apple Arcade a shot in the arm? Will these new titles cause you to give it a try?
I’m personally amazed at the gems I found in Apple Arcade. The games I liked are different from the ones my daughters liked, and certainly, not all Apple Arcade games are great (some are even bad), but for the price, I’m more than satisfied. It’s a bargain and I’m surprised it has not attracted more attention.
Even reading books is fun with Dear, Reader (a real-book reading game on Apple Arcade). Some games have been hits for my kids, and there’s lot in there for my own taste… plus a mix of family games we can play together. I’m never worried trying a game given I don’t pay extras for it. I also strongly enjoy the absence of In-app purchases (or ads). Thank you Apple. In my opinion, Apple Arcade deserves more praise.
Is Brian Thomas’s ‘If Monks had Macs’ available?
Not via Apple Arcade, as far as I’m aware, but the original site is still up and it is available via the Internet Archive.
Some interesting links:
Thanks Adam. Have you ever played it?
No, I don’t play games. That’s not a policy statement; they simply don’t compete for my attention with nearly anything else.
Monument Valley 2+ was recently added to Apple Arcade.