Subscription-based iOS gaming service GameClub last week brought popular open world RPG Aralon: Sword and Shadow back to the App Store, with better than ever graphics.


For those unfamiliar with Aralon: Sword and Shadow, it was one of the most popular games in the early days of the ‌App Store‌ as it was the first major open world RPG that was made available on iOS.

GameClub's service is based on reviving classic games that are no longer in the ‌App Store‌, providing new updates, graphical overhauls, and more. For Aralon: Sword and Shadow, there have been major changes.

When the game was first released, it used programmer art that was super basic. Later on, Crescent Moon, another developer, picked it up and did some graphics updates, and when GameClub took over, there was another major graphics update so it looks much better than it did in the early days. A before and after of the original art, updated art, and GameClub art can be seen below.

aralonoriginal

Aralon: Sword and Shadow's original graphics

aralonmiddleupdate
Aralon: Sword and Shadow after Crescent Moon update

aralongameclub
Aralon: Sword and Shadow after GameClub's revamp

The original Aralon: Sword and Shadow game was designed to run on early iPhones like the iPhone 4 and the first iPad, but ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ graphics have evolved significantly since then. With the graphics overhaul and the experience of playing a classic game on a device that's much, much faster, Aralon: Sword and Shadow is worth checking out for those who liked the first version back in the day.

GameClub is priced at $4.99 per month, and allows up to 12 family members to play with a single subscription. Those who are new to the service can get a 30-day free trial, which is great for people looking for something new to do while stuck inside.

gameclub
There are now more than 100 titles on GameClub ranging from puzzles to strategy games to RPGs and action titles, all without ads or in-app purchases.

Top Rated Comments

BrokenDinosaur Avatar
74 months ago
If you previously owned the game, you do not need to pay for the subscription.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cosmichobo Avatar
74 months ago
What a lovely paid advertisement..?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ErikGrim Avatar
74 months ago
Add the original Peggle / Nights to this and you have my money.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
psac Avatar
74 months ago

What a lovely paid advertisement..?
I don't know if it is, but one of the main people behind Gameclub (Eli Hodapp - SP?) was the editor in chief of Touch Arcade, which is a sister site of this one. So it might not be a paid ad as much as doing a solid for an old buddy/colleague.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Eorlas Avatar
74 months ago
that's pretty impressive, i remember this game from back when.

i'm still fingers crossed that they rerelease Aurora Feint; that was probably one of the best top-down brick combine/smasher things. back from when they didnt put these ridiculous levels in that all the new ones have.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
star-affinity Avatar
74 months ago

Hmm, think I’ll stick with Destiny2 on PlayStation.

Isn't World of Warcraft also still available on the Mac platform?
Destiny 2 is a nice game, but the lock to 30 frames per second on the consoles ruin it quite a bit, in my opinion.

World of Warcraft is still around on MacOS, yes.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected [Updated]

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
ipad blue prime day

iPad 12 Rumored to Get iPhone 17's A19 Chip, Breaking Apple Tradition

Wednesday December 10, 2025 12:22 pm PST by
The next-generation low-cost iPad will use Apple's A19 chip, according to a report from Macworld. Macworld claims to have seen an "internal Apple code document" with information about the 2026 iPad lineup. Prior documentation discovered by MacRumors suggested that the iPad 12 would be equipped with an A18 chip, not an A19 chip. The A19 chip was just released this year in the iPhone 17, and...
studio display purple

Apple Studio Display 2 Code Hints at 120Hz ProMotion, HDR, A19 Chip

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities. According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...