No matter how many times you put them down, zombies just won’t stay dead. Activision has launched their latest update for Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies and this one is a doozy. The team has ported over the popular “Ascension” map from consoles and added enough goodies to keep you blasting away at the undead hordes for hours.

The new map is set in a Cold War-era cosmodrome overrun with zombies and teeming with traps. Even more dangerous than the typical enemies are zombie monkeys which can swoop in and steal your perks as they maul your face off. Just remember that these monkeys are evil and you should have no trouble pulling the trigger.

The good news is your arsenal is getting an upgrade, too, and now you can deal death with the Thunder Gun, Matroyshka dolls, and Gersh Device. Players who like to really get up close and personal will also enjoy the inclusion of the Sickle. It’s the most fun you’ll ever have defending Mother Russia from reanimated rotting corpses.

$2.99

$6.99

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-12-01 :: Category: Games

A lot of gamers don’t know that before there was Halo, there was Marathon. The series, which Bungie created for the Mac almost 20 years ago, has finally made its way over to iOS, but not in exactly the manner you would expect. This is the tale of a labor of love, and a major studio being really cool with one of their properties.

Daniel Blezek was one fan of Marathon who really wanted to see the game come to iOS. Bungie couldn’t take time out of their busy schedule to port such an old game to a new device, so Daniel asked if he could do it himself. Bungie gave its blessing and in his free time, between raising 5 kids and working full time as programmer, Daniel managed to recreate not only all 27 levels of the original Marathon, but also port over the entirety of Marathon 2. He even built in a super-special “Master Chief Mode,” because he’s just that swell of a guy.

Daniel may also be crazy, because he’s giving away both Marathon games for free. Just hop on the App Store and download them and they’re yours for absolutely nada. So why not grab a copy and support a passionate fan who just wants to share the thing he loves with the rest of us?

FREE!

Marathon 1

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-07-07 :: Category: Games

FREE!

Marathon 2: Durandal

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-12-15 :: Category: Games

Last month we reported that EA had pulled Battlefield 3: Aftershock from the App Store following reports of large-scale bugs and crashing. We have now confirmed from an EA spokesperson that the game will not be returning to the App Store, and the Aftershock servers will be shut down on March 31, 2012.

“In the interest of bringing consumers only the highest level of quality mobile entertainment, EA Mobile has decided to suspend development and support of Battlefield 3: Aftershock and refocus its resources on other titles,” said EA in a statement. “The Aftershock servers will be live through March 31st, 2012, and customers who have already downloaded the game can continue to play until then.”

The EA rep we spoke to also confirmed that the company has no immediate plans for future Battlefield titles on iOS. So anyone hoping for a mobile fix of the shooter franchise is out of luck for at least the near future.

After a launch plagued with bugs and lag, as well as numerous negative reviews from both the users and the press, EA has chosen to remove Battlefield 3: Aftershock from the App Store. The news was broken by IGN, who obtained the following statement from EA.

“EA Mobile is committed to delivering mobile entertainment experiences that are on par with the content and quality users have come to expect from their favorite EA gaming brands. To this end, we have decided to remove Battlefield 3: Aftershock from the App Store and are currently re-evaluating the app in response to the consumer feedback we’ve received. We thank all the fans who have downloaded the game to date.”

We’re glad to hear that EA has done the responsible thing and pulled the title. Even though the game has done some damage by being available but virtually unplayable for two weeks, we’re hopeful that EA can figure out what went wrong and get the game back up in a timely manner. As yet there is no word if users who already downloaded the game will have their purchases refunded or if they will be compensated in some other manner.

It isn’t much of a surprise to see that Galaxy on Fire 2, one of the App Store’s most notable space adventures, is going to be getting a second in-game add-on pack. Let’s face it, the game is excellent and the added content from Valkyrie was more than welcome. FishLabs deciding to follow it up with a second batch of new things was only natural. Thus we have (or will have, really) Supernova.

Supernova is set to pick up right after the events of Valkyrie. Keith is taking it easy at the Deep Science space station, but it’s not long before another galactic peril makes itself known. The entire Mido sector suddenly finds itself threatened with annihilation as a supernova “of unknown origin” appears. Keith being Keith, he decides to get involved. The entire adventure is said to last “at least twice as long” as the previous add-on, with promises of 10 hours of gameplay, new mission types, more ships and more story.

Dates and pricing aren’t available at the moment, but it’s probably safe to assume it’ll cost about as much as Valkyrie ($4.99) and will be out sometime in the second quarter of this year. Be sure to keep a look out for release blurbs.

FREE!

Galaxy on Fire 2™

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-10-27 :: Category: Games