Here are some of the top apps and games released to the Apple App Store this week (12/15/13 to 12/22/13). This was a really big week for new and retro games plus two huge sequels were also released!

Cut the Rope 2: $0.99 for the iPod touch, iPhone and iPad (Requires iOS 4.3 or later) Rated 4+

One of the most anticipated sequels in App Store history, Cut the Rope 2 features all new characters, levels, and tricky missions. In the sequel Om Nom enlists the aid of the Nommies to help him collect candy. New features include: 120 entirely new levels, 5 new characters, new graphics, sound and gameplay elements.

There are a billion fitness apps in the App Store, but developer Six to Start has found a creative way to make them more exciting and fun. The Walk is the follow-up to the developer's popular running game Zombies, Run!. Both apps are more than just boring pedometers, they're are games that encourage users to walk and run every day with by adding an interesting twist.

In The Walk, your journey begins in Scotland after a bomb explodes in Inverness station. You're then given a package that could save the world and you must walk a certain distance in the real world to unlock more pieces of the mystery.

Need some last-minute shopping ideas this holiday season? Apple's got your back. iBooks can now be used to send digital books as gifts, in the same way music and apps can be gifted. Once received, the books can be read with the iBooks app on an iOS device or OS X Mavericks.

The new gifting functionality comes just in time for the holidays. To send a book using an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, open the iBooks app and find the title you wish to send as a gift. Tap the share button in the upper right corner, then tap Gift from the pop-up menu options. Fill out the recipient's information, select a delivery date, and tap Next to continue.

The ever popular Star Wars role playing game Knights of the Old Republic, which made the jump from PC/game console to the iPad back in May, became available on both the iPhone (4s or newer) and iPod Touch (5th generation) today.

Game publisher Aspyr Media brought KOTOR to the iPad to commemorate the game's 10th anniversary, and today's update (1.1) includes universal support along with several other enhancements. Aspyr's Vice President of Publishing Elizabeth Howard remarked, "To be able to bring this timeless classic to even more players is

One of the more simple but useful features Apple included in iOS 7 is the ability to see a time stamp for every text message sent or received. Previously you had to guess when someone sent you a message because Apple did not include a time stamp for each individual text. This was incredibly annoying for various and obvious reasons, but now it is incredibly easy to see what time someone contacted you thanks to Apple's latest OS.

You can check the time stamp of all your text messages by simply swiping right to left on the text conversation displayed on your screen. This motion will slide the text over and reveal an individual time stamp for each message. Yes it is that simple! Just swipe left to see the time stamp of any text message.