Duolingo (free) has updated its app to version 3.3. The update offers more language classes for native speakers of a variety of languages — Romanian and Polish speakers now have access to an English course, while Portuguese speakers can now take a Spanish class, and vice-versa. Duolingo also lists bug fixes and performance improvements, in addition to a “few surprises” within the update.
Marvel Entertainment’s Marvel Unlimited comics app has upgraded to version 2.0. The update offers native reading of digital comics in both iOS 7 and iOS 6.
The new Smart Panel experience lets users read comics panel by panel, which may be ideal for smaller mobile devices, such as the iPhone or iPod touch. Marvel claims it will announce new features soon. The free app requires a paid subscription to access Marvel’s complete digital comics subscription program, but some free comics are available.
The recently released Smash Hit from Mediocre AB is already wildly successful, currently listed as the top free app in the App Store with more than 11,000 customer ratings and a five-star average. It’s a simple game, as players advance forward through a futuristic world in first-person view, unable to move or change speeds. The only thing players can do is throw balls to smash through glass obstacles, crush crystals for more ammo, and open doors.
Players try to get as far as they can into the world before running out of balls. It’s a simple premise, but a satisfying result, bolstered by great physics and graphics. A $2 premium option offers checkpoint restarts, cloud saves, and more statistics.
Tom Janson’s Wave Wave ($3) is a new game that comes with a warning — “can cause nausea and viewing discomfort.” Garnering comparisons to Super Hexagon, Wave Wave forces players to quickly navigate a jagged line through a series of advancing shapes. Like Super Hexagon, it’s a challenge.
