Download Discounts for Dec. 22: BIT.TRIP Beat, Spider-Man, Spider: Bryce Manor

A bunch more games are on sale in the App Store as we approach Christmas, and this is the perfect time to gift a few apps to friends and family — and download a few for yourself. Below we’ve highlighted three great titles that have reduced prices: read about all of them in today’s Download Discounts.

BIT.TRIP Beat (iPhone) $0.99 (was $1.99)

This interesting rhythm game was first popularized as a downloadable WiiWare title on the Nintendo Wii. It has retained a lot of its originality and greatness in its transfer to iOS devices, giving you the chance to combine a Guitar Hero-like rhythmic background with classic paddle versus ball Pong gameplay.

In BIT.TRIP, you have to control a paddle that bounces back various balls from one side of the screen to the other. The catch is that those balls are set to the rhythm of the soundtrack, and you score by the number you hit and how accurate you are with your ability to intercept the various objects. While on the Wii, BIT.TRIP makes use of motion controls, it’s all about tilting on the iPhone, making this a harrowing game that’s tough to master.

Spider-Man: Total Mayhem (iPhone) $0.99 (was $6.99)

You’ll get a combination of action game sensibilities and beat-’em-up gameplay in Spider-Man: Total Mayhem, considered one of the better action games on the platform and rife with references to the wall-crawler’s rich Ultimate comic universe.

The game features 12 levels from a third-person perspective and makes use of the iPhone’s touch screen to offer virtual controls to help guide Spider-Man. You’ll have to master combat combos in order to maximize your ability to fight off thugs, as well as incorporate Spider-Man’s signature web-slinging skills. When you’re not fighting, you’ll spend your time exploring New York with the ability to scale buildings and swing around on Spidey’s webs.

Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor (iPhone) $0.99 (was $2.99)

Players take control of a common spider in this interesting puzzle-platformer, which we consider one of the 10 Best Paid iPhone Games available. Your job: explore a barren and empty house and weave webs in order to catch bugs and eat them to earn points.

While you’ll spend the majority of your time jumping, climbing, and building webs to catch bugs, along with the occasional flying leap to tackle wasps, your spider will also explore the empty Bryce Manor. Finding secret rooms and paying attention to the background of each level helps unlock the mystery of what went on at the house, and why there’s no one left there. Spider is therefore two games: one arcade action game that’s exactly as deep as catching bugs as a spider, and another that has you unraveling the secrets of the manor, but only if you’re attentive.

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