DECEMBER 2019 MACWORLD 43When you boot up a game like Super
Crate Box, for example, you might see an
option to play in “Limited” mode (which
includes ads and locked content) or in
“Unlimited” mode, which redirects you to
sign up for GameClub, which will remove
those restrictions.
BOTH SERVICES OFFER
ONE-MONTH FREE TRIALS
Considering the vast libraries available
to both games, one month should be
plenty of time to determine if you like
one service over the other (or both, if
your pockets are deep enough to justify
paying for two).
You’ll see the biggest difference when
you cancel. If you
cancel Apple
Arcade’s free trial
early, you’ll
immediately lose
access to the
service until you
renew your
subscription. With
GameClub, you’ll
still be able to
play the games
for free for a
month even if you
cancel weeks
before the trial
runs out.
APPLE ARCADE FOCUSES ON
NEW GAMES; GAMECLUB
EMPHASIZES PRESERVATION
Apple Arcade doesn’t have any old games
in its catalog. Instead, it’s built around
showcasing good new games from hot
contemporary publishers. GameClub,
though, is all about old games. It partially
came into being out of a desire to
preserve some older popular games that
vanished in the wake of changes to iOS
throughout the years. Some even date
from the previous decade.
Importantly, though, GameClub isn’t
merely relisting these games. Every
game the service offers has been
restored and formatted for contemporaryAvailable on GameClub, Plunderland relies on tilt controls.