B4: Two-Finger Rotate

Hardcore BustIt players use the "twist", or rotate, gesture to save time. This involved dragging your finger from one edge of the screen to another. We don't think a lot of people mastered it, so we've replaced it with the common, and much more reliable, "two finger rotate" gesture. So now you can rotate the puzzle just like you would move a picture in iPhoto!

B4: Screenies Posted

Have a peek at the new B4 graphics on the BustIt Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/BustIt/151131558312834

B4: Submitted to App Store

B4 is now in Apple's hands!

B4: Mission Control

'The Party Pack' add-on has been renamed to 'Mission Control.' This keeps with the space theme throughout the game.

B4: Diagonal Swipes

We fixed a small quirk in the gesture recognizer. You can now use diagonal swipes (to spin the puzzle) in any quadrant on the screen.

B4: On iOS 4.X

Here's the scoop: everyone with iOS 4 gets to play BustIt 4. Even those old iPhone 3G and 2nd generation iPod touches will run the game nicely. But you will need a modern iOS 4.3+ device if you want Game Center and Facebook support.

B4: Play Every Level

All of the levels (The Cube to Center Points) are free in BustIt 4. Our goal is to open up the game for some exciting new features...

B4: iOS 4 Support

It's a strange fact, but a significant number of people (~70%) never update their iPhones, etc. to the latest iOS version. This hits developers the hardest: your app has to be forwards and backwards compatible. For BustIt, we've always tried hard to support our current user base and adopt the latest technologies.

We have added Twitter support to BustIt 4, but these features are lost in iOS 4. We've spent the better part of 2 days trying to find some sort of compromise, and we've had to scrap the concept (unfortunately). So you will be left with email and Facebook support for sharing...

B4: More Visual Tweaks

We have added more shading and "gloss" to the bubbles, and given the Blockers a gray "whiffle ball" makeover. These updates give the game more "pop" (pardon the cheesy pun).

B4: Mines

Every time you hear a "tweep" in BustIt 4, you should look for Mines. These are bubbles "strapped" with a visual counter (black with orange dots). The counter ticks every time the bubble drops, and after 5 tumbles, they explode; messing up your current chain and robbing you of untold points! You can pop them by matching them with a colored bubble.

B4: New Scoring System

BustIt 4 has a new scoring system. It still rewards big moves, but not exponentially. Each bubble is worth more points and you will receive 25,000 points for solving the level. It makes more sense and feels rewarding!

For those hardcore players, Classic Mode uses the existing (old) scoring system...

B4: Twitter Page Updated

Ouch! The BustIt twitter page (http://twitter.com/#!/BustIt_App) was long overdue for a make-over!

B4: Tell A Friend

BustIt 4 will include a screenshot when you use the "Tell A Friend" feature. It's more inviting!

More BustIt Contests

What did you think about the BustIt contest? Let us know at: http://www.nscgames.com/contact.html

Blog Readership Up!

It's pretty cool to see how "The BustIt Blog" is growing: ~1700 people are now following the B4 updates.

Monster Gumball Available Now!

Our latest game, Monster Gumball, is available on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/monster-gumball/id497212943?mt=8

B4: New Scoreboard Format

This sounds like such a small tweak, but it's a funny thing. Over the past few years, the BustIt scores have been getting higher and higher. We now have to accommodate 9 digits! So we've addressed this issue once and for all: player's name on the first line, score on the second.

B4: Kiip In...

Do you like free Starbucks coffee and 10% discounts at Best Buy? Yeah, we do too!

When you earn an achievement award (Rotator, Master, MegaBust, etc.) in BustIt 4, you could win a cool Kiip reward - just tap the banner when it pops up.

NOTE: Kiip is only available in North America (for the time being).

B4 Update: Game Center

If you play BustIt with Game Center enabled, you will find B4 is much smoother at start-up. We now load leaderboard & achievement data "on demand."

BustIt 4 Update

Development on BustIt 4 is underway. What's been done:

1. BustIt 3.6 has turned into BustIt 4. There will be a lot of new gameplay options, etc. in the new version, so a major tick is justified. It also marks the 4th year on the market!

2. The audio system has been overhauled. The old code was written for iOS 2.X, and was quite crude compared to the modern OpenAL platform. You can also fine tune the volume for music and sound effects in the Settings.

3. BustIt 4 includes new background music. We have received mixed reviews on the old track (Maat Mons). Some people liked the originality and/or the calming influence, while others have sharply criticized it. Thanks to Asaguare for the new beats called Vermona.

More to come...