Mid-week iOS releases: Baseball Superstars 2012, Paper Monsters, Hank Hazard, and more

Some of you probably think we compile our mid-week releases round-up by scanning the New Zealand App Store. This couldn't be further from the truth.

This is the 'real' truth: every week, Ant settles into what the lab boys call "the capsule" and sends a replica of himself 12 hours and 34 minutes into the future, thereby allowing him to see what the best-looking new titles on iOS will be before everyone else.

We don't ask about what happens to the duplicate after the task is complete.

Unfortunately, Ant's ill today, and he hasn't left me any instructions on to how to work the capsule. It can't be that hard, though, right? I mean, there are only a few dozen buttons and levers here.

Let's see. Now, if I...

iPhone Spirit of Wandering - The Legend

Hey! Yeah, you! Guess what? It's another hidden object game from G5 Entertainment! I'm starting to think these guys and gals never sleep with the amount of new titles they release each week.

This latest one focuses on the adventures of a pirate captain looking for her lost love. It also features the Flying Dutchman, which our younger readers might remember as 'that ship from Pirates of the Caribbean'.

There are 24 locations, 450 objects (hidden), and 90 "cherished items" to find and savour, as well as some sort of mystical sub-plot featuring the spirit world. It all sounds jolly exciting, eh?

Download Spirit of Wandering - The Legend
Download Spirit of Wandering - The Legend for iPad

Ant Raid

Thankfully, Ant Raid isn't about duplicate versions of our Anthony escaping from wherever he puts them and attacking PG Towers. Instead, it's a rather splendid real-time strategy game.

Direct your colony of ants to beat up foes, fire off power-ups to burn / electrocute villainous bugs, and tap your way through the weirdly off-the-wall story in this casual RTS title that we somehow missed reviewing the first time around.

There are 100 levels in total in Ant Raid, plus four Survival modes to get stuck into once your colony has had enough for the day.

Download Ant Raid

Zombie Bunnies "This better not be another one of those twin-stick shooter games, Will!" I hear you cry. Well, Mr Guesses-The-Genre-By-The-Title, you're wrong. DEAD wrong. The bunny is dead, you see... oh, forget it. Zombie Bunnies - from Squirmee developer Lavafish Studios - is actually a side-scrolling shooter starring the (now undead and evil) Dr. Hare, who's on a mission to destroy and kill every living thing in his way.

Amusingly, that includes squashing them with parts of buildings, as well as the usual 'shoot-them-until-they-don't-move' tactic.

Download Zombie Bunnies

iPad Margaritaville Online Do you love the music of Jimmy Buffett? Do you want to spend some time on a tropical island listening to the music of Jimmy Buffett? Are you Jimmy Buffett? If you answered 'yes' to all those questions, then welcome to Margaritaville Online - an iPad-only social freemium game that sees you engage in a series of mini-games accompanied by the soothing sounds of Mr Buffett.

The graphics look surprisingly high quality for a Facebook-to-mobile game, and there doesn't appear to be a thinly disguised farming / waiting mechanic in sight.

I'll drink to that, JB!

Download Margaritaville Online

Universal Paper Monsters

Crescent Moon Games and Robots vs Wizards's Paper Monsters is definitely up there on our chart of the best-looking games to be released on iOS this week.

A 2.5D scrolling platformer, Paper Monsters puts you in control of a cardboard boy, who must leap through a number of hazardous paper worlds, collecting buttons and paperclips, and jumping on mushrooms.

There are 16 levels spread over four different worlds, a Dash mode for high score junkies, and two control methods to wrap your digits around.

It also looks great - did I already mention that?

Download Paper Monsters

Baseball Superstars 2012 Competing with Paper Monsters for the 'Most Visually Impressive iOS Release of the Week' award is Gamevil's Baseball Superstars 2012.

This year's edition of everyone's favourite cartoon baseball franchise comes with an expanded My Batter and My Pitcher mode that allows for skill training, new special moves, and the chance to earn special nicknames.

There are lots of customisation options for your team and athletes, as well as new super players to grab and multiple endings to discover in Story mode.

What's really piqued my interest, though, is the below screenshot of what must be the most overly exaggerated depiction of a woman's form I've seen in years.

I mean: her hips are wider than her shoulders, for goodness sake!

Download Baseball Superstars 2012

Hank Hazard

For some reason, I'm certain Hank Hazard came out months ago. Or was that Cut the Rope? Or Spider Jack? Or Contre Jour?

Pushing my thinly veiled cynicism for physics-puzzlers aside for a second, Hank Hazard puts you in the role of a daredevil hamster, rolling about inside his ball, attempting to solve a series of puzzling situations.

There are punching gloves, lightning balls, and stars to collect. Three on each level, would you believe. I know - crazy!

Download Hank Hazard