Who would have guessed that Adult Swim, the late-night network famed for its irreverent cartoons and live-action series, would prove to be one of the most consistent producers of quality iOS games? Its latest addition to the stack is Bring Me Sandwiches!!, which is one part platformer and another Katamari Damacy, topped with a dab of absurdity and slapped between two slices of bread.

You’ll take control of lovable loser Jimmy Nugget, a hapless employee at a local fast food restaurant. When a seemingly unquenchable glutton of an alien named Gourmo threatens to destroy the earth, Jimmy is called upon to save the day by meeting the otherworldly visitor’s single, titular demand. Of course, an extraterrestrial isn’t going to crave just any kind of sandwich; he’s choosy about ingredients, so don’t be surprised if you’re asked to offer up a cat and fire hydrant sandwich.

At the start of each vibrantly colored and well-designed level, Jimmy is handed a slice of bread. Running around using either the intuitive touch or tilt controls, you’ll collect any and all items that are littered about the level to stack your sandwiches higher. While the controls work well, there are rare occasions where they don’t seem responsive enough; jumping off the heads of other characters comes to mind. Some platforms are also ill-defined, though it’s seldom problematic. Neither presents a significant hindrance, but the rest of the game is so sharp that the little flaws seem more prevalent.

The bottom line. Bring Me Sandwiches!! is a genre-blender that takes the best parts of other favorites and makes them work together. It’s so quirky, entertaining, and difficult to put down that you might find yourself in your kitchen, simply stacking random objects on bread because you just can’t get enough.

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Considered one of the all-time great fighting games on consoles and in arcades, Soulcalibur makes a surprisingly stellar translation to a touchscreen interface, with virtual buttons that deftly issue sweeping sword strikes and kicks, and a stick that lets you move your fighter ably around the stage.

Soulcalibur still leads the weapons-based fighting genre today (with this week’s release of Soulcalibur V on consoles), and this late-90s flashback serves up all of the original fighters — including the staff-slinging Kilik, as well as sword-wielding samurai, Mitsurugi. While the combat isn’t quite as robust as in later entries, this is still a satisfying affair that works well on both iPhone and iPad. Plus, this decade-old classic looks better than ever thanks to the high-resolution bump, though the rough textures of a bygone era aren’t entirely absent.

Soulcalibur remains a fast, fluid, and thoroughly exciting fighter after all this time, though this universal iOS port feels frustratingly incomplete. Omitting the beloved single-player mission mode is a drag, sure, but leaving out multiplayer – both local and online – is a truly baffling move for a competitive fighter. Additional modes are expected via updates, but at the full price of $15, or even the current launch price of $12, we shouldn’t be left wanting such an essential feature.

The bottom line. Soulcalibur is a great fighter, but it’s currently a questionable value – at least until multiplayer is added.

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Apple and education have always gone hand in hand, but Cupertino has taken a bold leap with iBooks 2, a full version update offering zero new features for those of us who graduated from school long ago. But for iPad-toting students, the company’s new digital textbook initiative is a revelation.

iBooks 2 is the same as it ever was, adding only the ability to read interactive, multitouch textbooks on the iPad, purchased via iBookstore on your tablet or through iTunes on the desktop; iPhone and iPod touch users are sadly left out on this fresh feature. But despite Apple’s hyperbolic marketing, iBooks 2 arrives with a mere nine textbooks from two of the three top publishers.

The real revolution is the price: $14.99 compared to $75 for a print textbook. Available titles cover high school basics (algebra, biology, chemistry, and physics), but Apple nabbed one exclusive: E.O. Wilson’s Life on Earth, a work in progress whose first two chapters are free, while future entries can be purchased when released. You’ll need to clear space on a 16GB iPad, though, since textbooks consume nearly 1GB or more.

Despite an otherwise modest update, textbooks are a joy to use. Almost everything on the page is interactive, including graphics, diagrams, photos, and videos. Objects can be enlarged or rotated with a pinch of your fingers, and you can even highlight text just by swiping with any digit. A Study Cards section consolidates notes, highlights, and glossary items in one place, and everything was fast and fluid on my iPad 2.

The bottom line. Non-scholars may have no urgent reason to install iBooks 2 other than maintaining version parity, but the update is worthwhile as a glimpse into the future of education. Kids, I’m jealous: If my generation had such cool textbooks, I might have paid more attention in school.

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We’ve all been in the shoes that the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland was in. “I’m late, I’m late for a very important date,” he sang. The difference is when it happens to you, there’s probably less singing and more expletives. Luckily, your iOS device has the capability to keep you from ever missing an important event ever again. While all Apple products come with the built in Calendar app, there are plenty of other options out there that are just as serviceable and more alluring. From unique features to eye-grabbing interfaces, this list will direct you toward calendar applications that will keep you on track and up-to-date with your own life.

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