App Store Update: November 9

Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention.

Skylanders Lost Islands – (Free)

Activision’s popular Skylanders franchise begins its expansion beyond being just a toy-to-video-game bridge brand, as Skylanders Lost Islands takes the series in a different direction – this design is a freemium city builder that gives gamers the opportunity to develop their own sky island. The casual gameplay is reminiscent of Zynga's Farmville or EA's recent Simpsons: Tapped Out. Players are encouraged to “check in” on their budding island a few times a day to harvest crops, complete basic goals and send their Skylanders on multi-hour missions to bring back resources to further help construction efforts.

Sushi Mushi – (Free)

Sushi Mushi is a new fast-paced puzzler from Aspyr Media that has you matching sushi bites by either color or shape and feeding them to a hungry monster:

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic – (Free)

And freemium looks like it’s going three-for-three today, as Gameloft’s new My Little Pony will also allow you to play for no cost, but will happily take your cash if you’d like to score some extra in-game gems. (Watch out that your littlest Little Pony fan doesn’t grab your credit card when you aren’t looking.)

Centipede Origins – (Free)

The freebies just keep right on rolling, as Atari’s remade arcade classic is also available to download today for no cost.

Rat Fishing – (Free)

For more free fun, why not do a little rat fishing over the weekend? These hungry rodents can’t help but be lured out of their hiding holes when the catch a whiff of that delicious, fragrant cheese.

Sentinel 3: Homeworld – (Free)

Sentinel 4: Dark Star is on its way to the App Store soon, so its predecessor has gone free to pave the way. Tower defense fans, check it out.

Waking Mars – ($4.99)

Waking Mars was already a superb experience, but the new Director’s Cut update makes it even more choice. Jump back into the game to discover the new voice acting added to the story, alongside updated character art.

That's all for this week! And hey, if you haven't already, subscribe to the App Store Update via email. For convenience!

Lucas M. Thomas is IGN Nintendo's longtime champion of downloadable titles across the Wii, DSi and 3DS. He's happy to now be helping Justin round up the best options for App Store shoppers. You can follow him on Twitter, @lucasmthomas.