The iPhone Updates Update V1.0: Rolando, Zen Bound, Eliss...

You asked us to start covering iPhone game updates more often, so that's what we're going to do, picking some of the biggest new updates every week and explain in detail what’s new and interesting about them.

What you are going to do in return is post incessantly on our forums about the updates you're currently playing, or would like to see. If you're a developer, you're going to post about any updates you are about to release, or have just released.

Then it's back to us. We’ll publish all of the most interesting threads here every week, with links back to the forum so everybody can have a good old chat about them all.

Sound good? Good, then I’ll get on with it.

Top five updates this week

Zen Bound, v1.2.1

Joining Zen Bound's Tree of Reflection and Tree of Challenge is the new Tree of Nostalgia, which includes a whopping 25 extra new levels. Among the various added shapes for you to wrap your brain around, are a Pocket Gamer logo (coincidence?) a retro robot and an old fashioned alarm clock.

It’s still the ingenious rope wrapping spatial puzzling we know and love, though, and other minor changes, such as the option to hide the in-game user interface, only sweeten the deal even further.

iTunes link Rolando, v1.4

Another favourite here at Pocket Gamer, Rolando has been updated this week with two new secret levels. The secret levels are accessible from the main menu so you don’t have to play through the whole game to get at them.

You will, however, have to play through the existing secret levels, many of which have been added via previous updates. There are 20 of them now, which is a serious jolt of extra content for anyone yet to update from version 1.0.

iTunes link

Eliss, v1.1

This is the iPhone game that really separates the nimble-fingered multi-touch magicians from the ham-fisted and hopeless. Eliss is hard - very hard.

Or rather, it was before this update came along and adjusted the difficulty so that you no longer need a cranium the size of Jupiter to play.

Most importantly, the pacing has been tweaked, too. Suns entering the game are now made visible sooner, so it’s easier to move contrasting coloured circles out of the way.

There are also some interface improvements and a new How-To page, which should see off any final quibbles about the game’s difficulty.

iTunes link Vans Sk8: Pool Service, v1.1

The iPhone’s premier skating game must be feeling the pressure of the possible arrival of a certain Mr Hawk.

To that end, the already very robust Vans Sk8: Pool Service has added some key updates to sharpen up the gameplay.

There’s a calibration tweak to make the game less prone to behaving oddly when you tilt the iPhone at a jaunty angle.
There has also been a turn sensitivity option added to the options menu and a restart option added to the pause menu.

Topping that lot off are some extra sound effects and a minor adjustment to the mid-air camera angle.

iTunes link Pocket God, v1.15

Pocket God’s episodic charms have earned it plenty of thumb time in the Pocket Gamer offices and this week’s update is well worth checking out. The biggest addition is a backstory, which is apparently set to be expanded upon further in future updates.

There’s also a new gameplay tweak where dropping the T-Rex egg three times calls the momma Tyrannosaurus. Not only that, but there’s a new Octopus God statue to replace the original statue on the first island.

iTunes link

Fresh from the forum

Obviously, seeing as you are all only finding out about our new iPhone Updates Update feature today, this week’s forum section is a little under represented. All the more reason to jump into the forums and fill with it with great stuff for us to check out next week. As for this week:

Amazing Ninja Buddy version 1.5
Discuss in the forum

That’s it for our maiden voyage, be sure to check in next week for more iPhone updates.