With fewer than three days until Black Friday, a number of developers are beginning to offer deals on their apps and software. Below, we have rounded up some of the notable discounts available for popular iOS and Mac apps and software. More deals will inevitably be announced, so keep an eye on our Black Friday roundup.
Final Fantasy Tactics
Square Enix has discounted both the iPhone and iPad versions of Final Fantasy Tactics to $3.99 for a limited time, marking the game's lowest price ever. The lowest previous sale was $6.99 for the iPhone version and $7.99 for the iPad version. Regular prices are $13.99 for iPhone and $15.99 for iPad.
TouchArcade gave the title a rather mediocre 3.5/5 stars rating back in 2011, but noted Square Enix has significantly updated the game since then. "The graphics got redrawn, iCloud support was added, making it a significantly better port than when it was first released," said editor-in-chief Eli Hodapp.
A gameplay overview from the 2011 review:
You'll be taking over a squad of characters and battling on grid-based maps in a turn-based system. As you play through, you'll be able to level up your characters, equip weapons and effects and change jobs. Since the iOS port is based on the PSP version, you'll also get an updated story, a better translation than the PS1 version and a few fancy cutscenes.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions is available on the App Store for iPhone [Direct Link] and iPad [Direct Link].
Lumines Puzzle and Music
Mobcast's falling-block puzzle game Lumines Puzzle and Music is on sale for just 99 cents for a limited time. The app has normally cost $2.99 since it first launched in September. Lumines universally supports both iPhone and iPad.
A mobile rebuild of the classic PSP title, LUMINES PUZZLE & MUSIC is an action packed puzzle game synchronized to a musical beat, featuring newly-produced tracks and classics such as “Shinin’” by Mondo Grosso. Players swipe and tap their screen in portrait mode to properly align their Lumines blocks to clear blocks of four matching colors in rhythm to the beat.
TouchArcade gave Lumines Puzzle and Music a favorable 4/5 stars rating, with editor Shaun Musgrave noting the game "nails the core gameplay" and has "exceptional aesthetics." Here's a bit more on gameplay:
In Lumines, 2 x 2 blocks composed of two different colors drop in the field and begin falling. You need to move them left or right, rotate them, and drop them at the bottom of the playfield. As opposed to making lines as in Tetris, here you are trying to make 4 x 4 squares of a single color. When you do that, they will be marked for clearing. As you play, a bar is constantly moving across the field in line with the tempo of the current song. That bar will removed any marked squares you've matched up, and the remaining blocks will settle into place.
Lumines Puzzle and Music is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad [Direct Link].
Other Apps and Games
Name: Talisman
Developer: Nomad Games
Sale Price: $1.99
Previous Price: $3.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
TouchArcade Review: 4.5/5 stars
Links: AppShopper | iTunes | YouTube Trailer
Description:
Talisman: Digital Edition is a classic fantasy adventure board game, where you embark on a dangerous quest, fighting dragons, battling serpents, and avoiding the deadly curse of the Hag. These are some of the many obstacles you will face. So choose your character wisely, Warrior, Assassin, Thief or Wizard? There are 14 available, unique in their strengths, weaknesses and special powers. To win the game race your opponents through a perilous realm, journeying to the heart of the land to find the crown of Command.
Name: Heroes of Loot 2Developer: OrangePixel
Sale Price: 99 cents
Previous Price: $3.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
TouchArcade Review: 4/5 stars
Links: AppShopper | iTunes | YouTube Trailer
Description:
After their job, of keeping the dungeons in balance, was done, our heroes needed a new job. Roaming the lands they found a call for heroes, a castle in need, possible even a damsel in distress?
Pick two heroes to take into the adventure, controlling both heroes and using their special skills to navigate the dangerous castle hallways, rooms and floors. Switching between the two characters to solve quests, puzzles, and of course clear the dungeons of all evil.
Name: Space Grunts
Developer: OrangePixel
Sale Price: 99 cents
Previous Price: $3.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
TouchArcade Review: 4/5 stars
Links: AppShopper | iTunes | YouTube Trailer
Description:
Space Grunts combines fast paced arcade action with turn-based gameplay.
The year 2476, Earth's space-federation has been building moon-bases across the galaxy. One of those moon-bases has been sending a distress signal.
Space Grunts are a group of intergalactic "problem" solvers, sent to investigate..
You play one, out of a team, of Space Grunts, and your mission is simple: find your way into the moon-base, and figure out what has happened. You'll have to fight your way through aliens, robots, security drones and base-systems. Find the lower levels of the moon-base, and get to the core of the problems.
Name: Screens for iOSDeveloper: Edovia
Sale Price: $9.99 (Late Thursday to Early Tuesday)
Previous Price: $19.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
Leave your computer behind and travel light! Screens lets you connect back to your Mac, Windows or Linux PC and control it from the comfort of your living room, the corner coffee shop or anywhere in the world.
Name: Screens for Mac
Developer: Edovia
Sale Price: $14.99 (Late Thursday to Early Tuesday)
Previous Price: $29.99
Compatibility: OS X 10.10 or later
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
Access your computers from wherever you are! Screens is a beautiful, yet powerful Screen Sharing and VNC client that lets you connect back to your Mac, Windows or Linux PC from the comfort of your living room, the corner coffee shop or anywhere in the world.
Name: Scanner ProDeveloper: Readdle
Sale Price: $1.99 (Wednesday to Friday)
Previous Price: $3.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
Scanner Pro is the best app for quickly scanning and saving a digital version of a paper document. Scan any papers, ranging from a receipt to multi-page documents. Scanner Pro will automatically detect borders, correcting distortion and geometry. Share, email and upload your perfect scans. Use OCR to convert any scan into a text.
Name: PDF Expert
Developer: Readdle
Sale Price: $4.99 (Wednesday to Friday)
Previous Price: $9.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
PDF Expert 5 is a must-have app for anyone who reads, annotates or edits PDF documents on iPad or iPhone. It allows you to mark up documents with highlights and handwriting, insert text and stamps, sign and even merge PDFs. Moreover, PDF Expert 5 is the best choice for filling out PDF forms right on your iPad and iPhone.
Name: Printer Pro
Developer: Readdle
Sale Price: $3.99 (Wednesday to Friday)
Previous Price: $6.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
Printer Pro lets you wirelessly print from the iPhone or iPad. It can print directly to many Wi-Fi printers or any printer attached to your Mac or PC via helper application installed on your computer.
Name: Calendars 5
Developer: Readdle
Sale Price: $3.99 (Wednesday to Friday)
Previous Price: $6.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
Calendars 5 is complete re-imagining of what the best mobile calendar experience should be. Calendars 5 is smart, excels in both tasks and events and runs on any iOS device you might have. It's the calendar app you have been looking for.
Name: PDF Converter
Developer: Readdle
Sale Price: $1.99 (Wednesday to Friday)
Previous Price: $3.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
Make PDFs from any file that you have on your iPad or iPhone. Save Word, Excel, Powerpoint or iWork documents, web pages, photos and even clipboard content as professional quality PDFs. Everything from a multi-million contract to a web page you want to read later can be saved as a PDF in just a few taps.
Name: LuminarDeveloper: Macphun
Sale Price: $59
Previous Price: $209
Compatibility: OS X 10.10.5 or later
Links: Macphun
Description:
Meet the world’s first photo editor that adapts to your style & skill level. Luminar is the supercharged photo software that makes complex editing easy & enjoyable. And it is as responsive and beautiful as your Mac.
Name: 2017 Aurora HDR
Developer: Macphun
Sale Price: $79
Previous Price: $89
Compatibility: OS X 10.10.5 or later
Links: Macphun
Description:
The world's most advanced HDR photo editor for Mac gains powerful new features and a new look which will amaze, inspire and help you to make incredible HDR photos.
Parallels
Parallels is offering a Black Friday bundle that includes seven free Mac apps with the purchase of Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac (available for $79). The bundle has been available since November 21.
Software includes:
• 1Password for families
• PDFpenPro 8
• Pocket Premium (1 year subscription)
• Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac (1 year subscription)
• TextExpander
• Hotspot Shield Elite (2 year subscription)
• Acronis Online Backup (500GB, 1 year subscription)
VMware
VMware will offer up to 55 percent off all of its software products, starting on November 23 and running through December 2. Deals are as follows:
Fusion Pro & Workstation Pro Discounts
• Nov 23 - 27: Save 40% on new licenses and upgrades
• Nov 28 - Dec 2: Save 35% on new licenses and upgrades
Fusion & Workstation Player Discounts
• Nov 23 - 27: Save 30% on new licenses and upgrades
• Nov 28 - Dec 2: Save 25% on new licenses and upgrades
Fusion Pro/Workstation Pro Bundle Discount
• Nov 23 - Dec 2: Save 50%
Fusion vs Parallels Discount
• Nov 23 - Dec 2: Save 55%
VMware Certification & Training Discount
• Nov 23 - Dec 2: Save 25%
Keep an eye on our Black Friday roundup for further software deals as they are announced. The roundup also tracks good deals on Apple products such as iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TVs, accessories, and more from retailers such as Best Buy, Kohl's, Target, and Walmart.
Top Rated Comments
1. An improved Photos App that worked the same across all platforms (no, it doesn't).
2. An open iMessage App so we can use that versus Whatsapp to talk to those annoying-not-in the-walled-garden friends.
3. An office suite that would actually compete with MS.
4. An iPad that actually could replace a laptop.
5. A music app that still supported music owners.
6. Airpods
7. Laptops that were actually priced so that normal people could afford them
8. And of course more watch bands and emoji
iOS10 gives the impression that it was designed purposely to not only prioritize streaming Apple Music, but to actually make listening to synched purchased offline music a pain with no good workarounds.
It's one thing to design an app to give prominence to the in-house streaming service. It's entirely another to actively discourage listening to MP3s through deliberately bad design and hidden menus.
To me, the solution seems painfully simple, but I know they won't do it. All of the design changes in the iOS Music app aside, if they just allow us to disable showing un-synched iTunes/iCloud purchases and Apple Music/steaming services as an system/app-wide setting, eliminating the "Downloaded Music" layer and giving us back a Music app dedicated to playing just the music I chose to sync to my phone (and not paste a banner across the app making you feel like a pariah for not turning their streaming cloud crap back on), I'd be much happier.