Rovio’s Angry Birds Rio HD is now free in version 1.8.0. The game also has added 26 new levels — 20 standard levels and 6 bonus levels to unlock. Two new characters have also been introduced into the game: Stella, with her bubble blower, and Rocket Bird, who appears in the new bonus levels.
Camera+ ($2) from tap tap tap has updated to version 5, which introduces “The Lab” — a collection of cool new photo editing options. The new features include an adjustable clarity filter, auto-straighten, tint adjustments, soft focus and film grain effects, blurring, sharpening, and more, all designed to make real-world practical photo editing as easy as possible. An iOS 7 wallpaper creation feature is also present. Dozens of icons within the app have been redesigned to match iOS 7, as has the app icon itself.
Disney’s Disney Animated ($10) was recently selected by Apple as its iPad App of the Year. The app gives users a comprehensive inside look at the world of Disney animation. In the just-released version 1.0.4, a new chapter has been added for Disney’s newest animated film, Frozen. The chapter includes exclusive art, animations, and some legitimately interesting inside information on the making of the film, including extended footage from a test scene that wasn’t included in the theatrical release. Kids can create realtime snow effects mimicking Elsa’s magic in the film.
The new game République ($5) comes from Camouflaj, a group featuring developers who worked on games such as Metal Gear Solid and Halo. Funded via Kickstarter, the game just hit the App Store today. In République, you help a character named Hope escape from a reprogramming facility run by an oppressive totalitarian regime. The stealth-action game uses simple, one-touch controls, and boasts extremely impressive graphics and voice acting; you switch between cameras within the facility, opening doors, picking up clues, and equipping Hope with items that can help her escape. This initial release contains the first of five promised “Season 1” episodes; an in-game purchase lets you pre-purchase episodes 2-5 for $15, with early access to episode 2.