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
64 months ago
If you previously owned the game, you do not need to pay for the subscription.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cosmichobo Avatar
64 months ago
What a lovely paid advertisement..?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ErikGrim Avatar
64 months ago
Add the original Peggle / Nights to this and you have my money.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
psac Avatar
64 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
64 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
64 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

ipad 11 feature

Apple Unveils 11th-Gen iPad With A16 Chip and More Storage

Tuesday March 4, 2025 6:06 am PST by
Apple today announced the 11th-generation iPad, now featuring the A16 Bionic chip and more storage. The announcement came alongside the debut of the new iPad Air, which now features the M3 chip. From Apple's press release: The A16 chip provides a jump in performance for everyday tasks and experiences in iPadOS, while still providing all-day battery life. Compared to the previous...
M3 iPad Air

Apple Announces New iPad Air With M3 Chip, Updated Magic Keyboard

Tuesday March 4, 2025 6:04 am PST by
Apple today introduced new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models with the M3 chip, along with an updated Magic Keyboard for the device. With the M3 chip, the new iPad Air should offer up to 20% faster performance compared to the previous-generation model with the M2 chip, which was released in May 2024. In addition, the M3 chip brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing to the iPad Air for the...
Apple MacBook Air hero

Apple Announces New MacBook Air With M4 and 'Sky Blue' Color Option

Wednesday March 5, 2025 6:02 am PST by
Apple today announced refreshed 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models, now featuring the M4 chip, an upgraded camera, and a new "Sky Blue" color option. "Sky Blue" is an all-new blue finish that joins Midnight, Starlight, and Silver. Apple describes it as a "beautiful, metallic light blue that creates a dynamic gradient when light reflects off of its surface." Space Gray is no longer available. ...
macbook air blue image

New MacBook Air Coming This Week: What to Expect

Monday March 3, 2025 4:52 pm PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook teased a new product announcement this week, sharing a short video that says "there's something in the Air." Based on the "Air" wording and the timing of the launch, it sounds like we're going to get new M4 MacBook Air models. Design Apple will continue to offer the MacBook Air in two sizes, including 13 inches and 15 inches. We are not expecting notable design updates,...
cook tweet air upscale

Tim Cook Teases New Apple Product Announcement This Week: 'There's Something in the Air'

Monday March 3, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook today teased a new product announcement coming "this week." "There's something in the air," the teaser says. This teaser likely refers to a new MacBook Air with the M4 chip, which is already expected to be announced as early as this week. Apple used the same "there's something in the air" slogan before it announced the original MacBook Air in 2008. Cook shared a si...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features

Tuesday March 4, 2025 3:15 pm PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro's alleged design via Front Page Tech Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Rumored to Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Saturday March 1, 2025 11:00 am PST by
iOS 19 is still around three months away from being unveiled, but there are plenty of rumors about the upcoming update. Below, we recap iOS 19 rumors so far. Redesigned Camera App A leak earlier this year allegedly revealed a redesigned Camera app coming with iOS 19. On his YouTube channel Front Page Tech in January, Jon Prosser shared a video showing what the new Camera app will...
ipad air magic keyboard

Apple Announces Redesigned Magic Keyboard for iPad Air

Tuesday March 4, 2025 6:36 am PST by
Apple today announced a completely redesigned Magic Keyboard accessory for the iPad Air. The new keyboard features a larger built-in trackpad, a 14-key function row, and a new aluminum hinge. From Apple's press release: The all-new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air expands what users can do at an even lower price. The larger built-in trackpad brings greater precision for detail-oriented...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...