It's almost Black Friday in the US and the festive season of sales are commencing, but that hasn't prevented folk waiting eagerly for the weekly Red Stripe Deals from Microsoft. This week we have Farm Frenzy 2, Fuse, and Joining Hands 2. If you've been holding off on one of these titles or wish to bag a bargain, now's your chance.

Farm Frenzy 2

Farm Frenzy 2 isn't shy to when it comes to deals as the Xbox Live title was in a previous listing. If you're not familiar with the title, we're looking at a time management game, much like Sally's Salon. Players are tasked with keeping the animals alive, produce a number of resources and other products. It's rather addictive gameplay and well worth checking out.

You can download Farm Frenzy 2 from the Windows Phone Store for $0.99 (Windows Phone 7 and 8).

Fuse

Fuse is a popular newsreader app on Windows Phone, developed by Rudy Huyn. The app sports unique themes, including Ribbon, Square and Ipsum, which give a highly stylized view of the news from various websites and is considered by many to be one of the nicest looking apps around. Should you have a number of sources available you wish to enjoy while on the move, this is the app for you.

You can download Fuse from the Windows Phone Store for $0.99 (Windows Phone 7 and 8).

Holding Hands 2

The last entry in this week's Red Stripe Deals is Joining Hands 2, an indie title by the developer 10tons. Joining Hands 2 is a whimsical puzzle game. The player is tasked with completing puzzles by joining the hands of little creatures called Peablins. The gameplay is rather straightforward, you drag and drop them from cell to cell in order to have them all holding hands.

​If you've not tried a 10tons game before, we recommend checking all their titles out - including Joining Hands 2. Some features of Joining Hands 2:

• More than 140 fun and challenging levels
• Eight kinds of adorable Peablin characters
• Unlimited hint system: Never get stuck
• Fun for all ages: No violence, no time limits, no pressure
• Great for child and parent cooperative puzzling
• Cute graphics and joyful soundtrack
• Ten achievements

You can download Joining Hands 2 from the Windows Phone Store for $1.49 (Windows Phone 8 only).

via: Windows Phone Italy

Windows Phone Central Game Roundup: Bowling Games

Sports games for our Windows Phones can have great entertainment value.  These games can help you pass short bits of time or handle the longer gaming sessions when you plenty of time to kill.  Bowling games fit that bill and are are the subject of this week’s Windows Phone Central Roundup. 

Bowling may not appeal to everyone but they are simple games to pick up but challenging to master.  You often have customizations to make the game reflect more of your personal tastes and just when you think you have game play down pat, you roll a gutter ball.  

These Windows Phone games may not turn you into the Big Lebowski but they are entertaining, all are free and well worth the try.  We will focus on four of the more popular bowling titles in the Windows Phone Store and if we've missed your favorite bowling game, let us know in the comments. 

AE Bowling 3D (free):  AE Bowling 3D is an attractive bowling game with a healthy selection of gaming options.  You have solo games, multi-player games, and "you vs. the computer" games.  AE Bowling 3D also has several gaming modes that include single games, championship matches, and a challenge mode where you have to pick-up preset spares.

AE Bowling 3D Game Options and Settings

Settings are accessible from the main menu and cover sound/music on or off as well as ball spin control.  You then have two methods to control the ball’s spin direction once it begins the journey down the lane.  You can tilt your phone left or right to control the direction of the ball’s spin or slide your finger on the lane left or right to control the spin.  I found the tilt control option to work the best.

Once you’ve chosen your gaming mode, you will then set each player’s name and choose your alley preference as far as oil type is concerned. 

You can position your ball in the lane by touch and to roll your bowling ball just tap the ball and swipe up the screen in the direction you want your ball to go.  You can use your ball control to help curve your roll into the pins.

AE Bowling 3D Lane and Ball Choices

The game score will appear between each roll and a pin layout is displayed at the left side of the screen.  If you want to customize your bowling ball, there is a ball icon in the lower left that will pull up your bowling ball menu.  Here you can choose a ball color/pattern and weight.

AE Bowling 3D isn’t a bad option to consider for a Windows Phone bowling game.  Graphics are nice, there are plenty of gaming options, and has decent physics.  Pin action (the reaction when hit) is good but lacks that explosive reaction when you hit the pocket (sweet spot that often results in a strike) just right.

AE Bowling 3D is a free, ad-supported game available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices.  You can pick up your copy of AE Bowling 3D here in the Windows Phone Store.

Shuffle Party (free):  Shuffle Party is the only Xbox Windows Phone title in this week’s roundup and takes you away from the bowling alley and to a tabletop setting.   Shuffle Party is a fantastic option for a quick game of bowling/shuffleboard or when you are in the mood for longer gaming spurts.

The main menu tosses out options to play the game, visit the pro shop to customize the game, access the help and options menu, view the Xbox leaderboards and check in on your gaming achievements.

Shuffle Party Game Modes, Store Options and Achievements

Shuffle Party has four gaming modes that include:

• Bowling: A traditional, ten frame game of bowling played by your Xbox Live Avatar.
• Shuffleboard Challenge: A game of shuffleboard where your skills at sliding the puck will be tested.  You have to navigate your puck through a series of puzzles to collect coins and land in one of three goal zones.
• Shuffleboard:  A full, traditional game of tabletop shuffleboard.
• Multiplayer Shuffleboard (Pass and Play): A two-player, pass and play game of shuffleboard.

Puck control, regardless of the game, is accomplished by touch.  Tap/hold the puck to position it on the tabletop lane and swipe up at the screen to slide it down the table.  The faster the screen swipe, the more power behind the puck's slide.  Game scores will appear after each frame in the bowling game and after each set with the shuffleboard games.

As you play Shuffle Party, you will earn cash that can be used in the Pro Shop to buy different puck, pin, table, and table frame styles.  With the bowling game, you’ll earn cash for spares and strikes as well as your final score.  With the shuffleboard games, you’ll earn cash based on your final score.

Shuffle Party Bowling and Shuffleboard Challenge Games

One nice feature with Shuffle Party is that if you only have time for a short game, you can tap through all the animations to speed up game play.  You’ve got the animations for the puck throw, pin destruction, the replay of the pin destruction and score summary/avatar celebration.  While the animations contribute nicely to the game, they can take a bit of time.

While not your traditional game of bowling, Shuffle Party has fantastic graphics, challenging game play and one of the better physics engines around.  Pin action is realistic and explosive.  Shuffle Party's shuffleboard games are equally well drawn-up and benefit from the same physics engine for realistic play.

I do have two gripes with Shuffle Party.  First, you are stuck with the same out-the-window scene for the entire game.  The Pro Shop needs a few options to change this scene from the default skyscrapers to maybe a beach scene, a mountain scene or something off the wall like a lunar scene.

Shuffle Party for Windows 8

My other gripe is that the game is ad-supported.  The ad banners make the game free but also clutters-up a very nice looking game.  I am sure many would pay a reasonable price to get rid of these ads.

Nonetheless, Shuffle Party is a great game for your Windows Phone.  It is available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices as a free, ad-supported title.  You can find Shuffle Party here in the Windows Phone Store.

Shuffle Party is also available for Windows 8 devices and is a marvelous game for tablets.  The Windows 8 version is also a free game and you can pick it up here in the Windows Store.

Rocka Bowling 3D (free):  Rocka Bowling is attractively drawn-up but has a little quirky method of tossing the bowling.  The game’s strength may rest with the multi-player game that supports up to six players in pass-n-play style.

The main menu offers options to play the game, visit the Rocka Bowling Store, mute the sounds, and view the online leaderboard.  At the very bottom of the main screen, you will see your high scores for each gaming mode.

Rocka Bowling Menu and Store Options

As you play Rocka Bowling, you will earn coins that are used in the gaming store to buy custom bowling balls, pins, alleys, and background songs.  If you want to get a jump on things, you can buy game coins through an in-app purchase.

Game play is separated into two gaming modes, a three-frame game or a full, ten-frame game.  Both modes support up to six players.  You can position your bowling ball on the lane by touch and throwing the ball requires you tap/hold, swipe backwards then forwards.  This has a bit of an odd feel to it with so many other bowling games just requiring you to swipe forward to toss your ball.  You can give your throw a little curve by angling your swipe to the left or right and the faster the swipe, the faster the roll.

Pausing the game will pull up options to view your full score for the round, mute the sound effects, songs and to pull up an extensive help section.  You also have the option to end the game on the next frame if you are pressed for time.  Side note… the help section is very comprehensive and I’m a little surprised it’s not accessible from the main menu.

Rocka Bowling Game Screens

Your pin count/placement is displayed on the marque above the bowling lane and a frame-by-frame score will appear in between frames.  At the conclusion of each game, you will receive a scoring summary along with the amount of coins you have earned.

Rocka Bowling’s game pace is a little on the slow side and lacks the ability to tap past the animations.  Graphics are very well drawn and covers the bowling alley details nicely, complete with ceiling fans.  The physics engine does a nice job of things, especially with any spin action you put on your throws.  Pin action is good but a little stiff.

All things considered, Rocka Bowling 3D is a very good bowling app for your Windows Phone.  It is available for Windows Phone 8 devices and is a free, ad-supported game.  You can find Rocka Bowling 3D here in the Windows Phone Store.

Galaxy Bowling 3D (free):  Billed as a 3D bowling game of universal proportions, Galaxy Bowling 3D does not fall short of the mark.  The bowling game has six single player games and has multiplayer support.  Add eye-appealing graphics, a handful of bowling alley themes and a healthy selection of bowling balls and Galaxy Bowling 3D makes a nice impression.

Galaxy Bowling 3D’s main menu offers options to start a game, choose your bowling ball, choose your lane theme and access the game’s settings.  Settings cover sound and music on or off, a few camera view options, options to play the game in landscape or portrait view, and options to control your ball spin (finger swipe vs. tilt controls).

Galaxy Bowling Menu, Ball Choice and Settings

As you play Galaxy Bowling 3D, you will be given scoring goals to reach.  As you do, bowling balls will become unlocked that represent the planets of the solar system.  The new bowling ball styles will be available off the main menu.   Additionally, new bowling alley themes will become unlocked after you play a set number of games.  You can choose a specific alley them or let the game choose your theme at random.

Multiplayer games supports up to four players in a traditional game of bowling in pass-n-play style.  Single player games with the free game include:

• Normal: This is your standard, ten-frame game of bowling. 
• Spares: Is a game where you are presented with a wide range of spares that you need to pick up.  It is a multi-level game and if you miss picking up four spares, the game is over. 

You can also purchase two additional game packs to give you access to Duckpin and Candlepin games or Kingpin and 100 pins games.  Each add-on pack will cost you $.99.

Galaxy Bowling Game Modes and Game Screens

Game controls fall in line with your typical bowling games.  Your ball placement is done by touch and to throw the ball, you swipe up at the screen.  To control your ball’s spin you can either (set in the game’s settings) swipe left or right to control the spin or use your Windows Phone tilt controls with the latter seeming to work the best.

Game play is rather nice with Galaxy Bowling 3D.  The graphics are top notch and while the add-on gaming packs offer a lot, the free version can survive on its own.  The sound effects and physics engine represents the game of bowling realistically.  Pin action was spot on and all that is missing is the background noise of games being played on other lanes.

Galaxy Bowling 3D is a free game available for Windows Phone 8 devices with two, $.99 add-on game packs that can be purchased in-app.  You can pick up your copy of Galaxy Bowling 3D here at the Windows Phone Store.

How do they stack up?

All four Windows Phone bowling games in this week’s roundup perform admirably and I do not think you can go wrong with any of these games.  However, having said that, I do think that Shuffle Party and Galaxy Bowling 3D stand out from the pack.

Shuffle Party moves away from the traditional game of bowling by placing the game on a tabletop.  The game offers a little variety with the shuffleboard games.  Then add the Xbox Live integration, some of the smoothest game play around and Shuffle Party should be on everyone’s Windows Phone gaming short list.

Galaxy Bowling takes the traditional game of bowling and delivers it very nicely to your Windows Phone 8 device.  The developer went into a lot of detail to give the game a realistic feel.  When the ball hits the sweet spot (resulting in a strike) sound effects increase with intensity, the physics engine offers solid pin action and the graphics pick up the smallest of details such as ceiling lights reflecting on the lane.  The only downside is to enjoy the full game is that it will cost you two in-app purchases.  Then again, if you are content with the traditional game of bowling you are set with the free version.

Bowling is an entertaining gaming option for those times when you need a little help passing the time or when you are in the mood for longer gaming sessions.  If we’ve missed your favorite bowling game, sound off below in the comments.

Are you picking up the Xbox One today with Call of Duty: Ghosts or Battlefield 4? If you’re into first-person shooter games, then there’s an interesting accessory you might want to check out. It’s called HipShotDot, and we’ve got a demo to show you.

Head past the break to watch the video walkthrough with its creator, Tim Murphy.

HipShotDot is a powered red dot sight attachment for first person shooter games. You’ll have the advantage over the competition with faster reaction times, accuracy and speed. It also increases the number of available in-game perks and attachments.

So, how does it work? You connect the USB connector into gaming console, desktop, or a 5v power source. The power indicator and the red bright glowing LED will light up. Zoom your weapon in and attach the red dot sight with its clear adhesive pad to the screen. Align it with the cross hairs or sights. Adjust the tension of the secondary attachment point below. That’s it. HipShotDot works with virtually any first person shooting game.

Our main concern is that we actually have to touch our displays. Be careful when attaching the accessory. You do not want your big-screen TV falling backwards.

The idea came up in Murphy’s basement to help improve his aim when playing with his buddies. The first prototypes were built with a soldering iron and parts from Radio Shack. After testing with a few gamers, he was pleasantly surprised with the positive feedback. HipShotDot received its initial startup capital from Start Garden, a $15 million seed fund that invests in new, for-profit ideas.

HipShotDot is compatible with Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, and other consoles. The product retails for $29.99. You can order it now from their website at Air Drop Gaming. It’s also going to be widely available in retail in Spring 2014.

Do you think this is cheating? Let us know in the comments!

If you’re a Nokia Lumia owner, today is your day. Especially if you just bought a new device. It’s been known that if you bought a Lumia 1520 from AT&T, you also nabbed a $20 Microsoft Store card. If you pre-ordered thru the Microsoft Store, well you probably don’t even have your Lumia 1520 yet, but you did get a $70 voucher. So what to spend it on?

Nokia’s exclusive Xbox Live collection is pretty impressive and evidently, they want you to have it. That’s why they slashed prices on numerous titles and will be putting other titles on sale later in the month. So what are you getting?

• Mass Effect: Infiltrator - $3.99
• FIFA 13 - $2.99
• NBA JAM - $0.99
• Tiger Woods 12 - $0.99
• The Dark Knight Rises - $2.99
• The Amazing Spider Man - $2.99
• Real Racing 2 - $2.99
• FC Rocket - $2.99 (until November 27th)

In some cases, those titles are 2/3 off their normal price, others are 50% off (like Mass Effect). It’s a good deal, especially if Microsoft gave you $20 to spend. Of course, anyone with a Lumia can grab these games for their lowered price, it’s just a little sweeter for the new guys.

In addition, these titles will be going on sale shortly, so keep an eye out:

• The Sims 3 - $3.99 (November 29th)
• Trivial Pursuit - $1.99 (November 29th)
• Picnic Wars - $1.99 (November 29th)
• Monopoly - $2.99 (November 29th)
• Risk - $1.99 (November 29th)
• The Game of Life - $1.99 (November 29th)
• Bejeweled Live + - $2.99 (November 29th)
• The Sims Medieval - $3.99 (December 12th)
• ​SPY Mouse - $0.99 (December 12th)
• Storm in a Teacup - $0.99 (December 12th)
• Contre Jour - $0.99 (December 12th)

Do you know a simple way to keep track of these sales? Use Nokia’s own AppSocial (beta). It’s already preloaded on some Lumias, and if not, you can find it in the Store (link below). AppSocial is a way to follow collection and share your favorite games and apps. You can create a profile and curate your own collection to share with others. Or, in this case, you can follow Nokia, who posted these games in a sweet little list.

It’s a great app and through it you can get recommendations and even discover sales, like those above.

Head to the Nokia Collection here to grab AppSocial and then follow this link to see the discounted games (or scan the QR codes below).

Thanks, MAkhdar, for the tip!

The festive season is well under way and what better way to keep the kids entertained than downloading free Disney games on their Windows Phones? The company has rounded up six Windows Phone games, making each one of them available for free. It's Disney's Season of Giving.

So which titles are you able to download? How do the likes of Where's My Water 2, Where's My Mickey and Monsters University sound? Think of this offer as a Disney's stocking filler, or possibly an advent calendar as you count down the days. Here are the Disney apps that are currently available for free:

• Where's My Water? 2
• Where's My Mickey?
• Wreck-It Ralph
• Where's My Perry?
• Where's My Water?
• Monsters University

This is a solid move by the company, offering ample entertainment for children at an exciting time of the year. As well as the links above, check out the QR codes below for more convenient access if you're on a PC or tablet. Thanks, pkwesi77, for the tip!

Tap The Frog is a collection of six mini-games that are designed to test your reflexes and powers of observation.  The Windows Phone game is nicely animated and full of challenges that will not only test your reflexes but also your powers of observation.

Tap The Frog has likeable graphics, gaming achievements, and an online leaderboard.  The game has its appeal and has a slight addictive quality.  Tap The Frog is a fun game for short bits of time but it can be somewhat nerve racking as well.

Tap The Frog Main Menu

The main menu for Tap The Frog offers you access to the online leaderboard and gaming achievements, a link to the game’s Facebook page, and access to the game’s settings.  Settings cover language support, sound/vibration on or off, developer credits, and a reset button to erase your gaming progress.

Tap The Frog Game Menu

When you are ready, tap the frog on the main menu to choose one of the six mini-games in the collection.  In order of availability the games are:

• Pop the Frog
• Paint the Frog
• Launch the Frog
• Feed the Frog
• Treat the Frog
• Fight the Frog (two-player game)

Each game is progressively unlocked based on the number of stars you earn.  You earn the stars based on your performance within each game.  For example, to unlock the Launch the Frog game you will need to earn eight stars between the previous two games.

Pop the Frog Game

The games are designed to test you reflexes and to some extent, your powers of observation.  The first game is Pop the Frog where are presented with a group of frogs where you have to tap each frog to make it disappear.  You only have fifteen seconds to tap as many groups of frogs as possible.  Some frogs have hats that require you to double or triple tap the frog before it will disappear.  Once you've popped all the frogs in the group, bonus time will be awarded.

Paint the Frog is a game where you have to tap groups of frogs to change them to the same color.  Each group has two colors of frogs and a tap will change the frog to the opposite color.  You have fifteen seconds to tap all the frogs to the same color in as many groups as possible.  Some groups only have a few frogs of a particular color, allowing you to match that particular group’s color in fewer taps and less time.  As with Pop the Frog, bonus time is awarded after you successfully match the color in each group.

Paint the Frog Game

Launch the Frog takes a little different approach on things in that you still have to have super sonic reflexes but are called upon to tap groups of asteroids that are labeled with numbers.  You have to tap the space rocks in ascending ordered based on those numbers.  You get a little more time (twenty seconds) with this game and each completed group will earn you tad more bonus time.

Launch the Frog Game

When the clock strikes zero, you’ll have the option to spend one of your bonus clocks to add just a little more time to the clock and continue the game or end the game.  You have five bonus clocks when you start Tap The Frog and as you unlock the additional games, you will earn additional bonus clocks.

With any of the games, the longer you last, the faster the pace.

At the end of each game, Tap The Frog presents you with a score summary that will display a point’s total, a star total (based on your score) and any achievements earned.  If you have earned enough stars to unlock the next level, a little frog will parade across the bottom of the screen alerting you to that fact.  I would like to offer a description of the other three mini-games but try as I might; my reflexes aren’t quick enough to earn enough stars.

Tap The Frog Scoring Summary

And that might be the draw to the game.  Game play presents itself in such a simple fashion that you force yourself to try one more time to earn enough stars to see what the next mini-game is like.  Next thing you know, you’ve been playing the game for fifteen minutes.

Now for the downside to things with Tap The Frog.  Tap The Frog is a free game but only allows you to play the first two games.  You will need to upgrade to Tap The Frog Pro ($.99 and found here) to unlock the additional games but when you do, any stars collected in the free version are lost.  Hopefully this is a glitch in the programming because it kinda sucks to spend the time to earn the stars in the free version only to lose them when you upgrade.  

None of this is mentioned in the Store description and until this can be fixed, I would consider the free version of Tap The Frog as a trial version.  I wouldn't invest a lot of time earning stars with the free version of Tap The Frog, and if you like the game, go ahead and make the jump to the Pro version and then start collecting stars.

Overall, while at times painfully challenging due to the pace of the game, Tap The Frog is a well-drawn up game for our Windows Phone.  Game play is simple but challenging, the graphics are good and Tap The Frog is a fun game to pass the time with. 

Update: The game has been pulled from the Windows Phone Store.  Apparently there is a copyright issue present with the developer Playfo holding the rights to the game.  We have been informed by Playfo that an official Tap The Frog game will be heading to the Windows Phone platform soon.  Should more information become available we will update things accordingly.

Did you pick up a Nokia Lumia 1520 yet? If so, you’re probably aware that one of the perks was a free copy of Microsoft’s Halo: Spartan Assault for your new Lumia 1520. How do you get it? How about going skipping to after the break and downloading with the special link for all you Lumia 1520 owners.

Halo: Spartan Assault is easily one of the most impressive games available for Windows Phone. Your game syncs with the Windows 8 counterpart, so you can play and progress across all your devices. We’ve got the link you’ll be using to access the game for free on your Lumia 1520. Hopefully you enjoy playing on that beautiful, 1080p display.

The game clocks in 716MB for the download and will usually ask for a little more space to install after that. So make sure you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network before you start download. Don’t forget to read our review of the game.

Want it? Get it in the Windows Phone Store today. Again, that link is for folks with the Lumia 1520. It shows up on Daniels device, but won’t install on my 1020, duh. If you want Spartan Assault for other devices than the 1520 go get it.

Thanks for the tip Cesar R!

It’s been a rough year for Xbox games on Windows Phone. Many weeks go by without new releases, and a fair number of developers have jumped ship and switched to indie releases (see Asphalt 8). If we had to name the single worst day for Xbox Windows Phone, it would undoubtedly be September 27 – the day the In-App Purchases died. Yes, on that day (or maybe slightly earlier that week) a whopping 11 games disappeared from the service, never to return… Not with Achievements, anyway.

Since then, Chickens Can’t Fly actually did come back to Windows Phone without its Xbox Live features. And just recently, a second de-listed title has done the same thing: Babaroga’s horror-themed board game Zombies!!!. The game is now on sale once again with its former DLC included automatically, all for $5.99. Read on for more details.

Survival of the fittest

Zombies!!! is a faithful adaptation of the original board game. In the default mode, players take turns placing board tiles that will form the zombie-infested city. Each player must then try to escape with his or her life while simultaneously doing whatever it takes to slow down the other players. They’ll also have to kill their share of the walking dead.

Whenever a player runs into a zombie (controlled by the AI or other players), a battle ensues. Players must roll a four or higher in order to avoid taking damage. Carrying a weapon (which you mostly get from playing weapon cards inside of specific buildings) adds one or more points to your roll, increasing the chance of coming away unscathed. You can also elect to use one of your precious bullets to boost your roll, though ammunition tends to come in scarce quantities. All told, combat provides an enjoyable mix of chance and strategy.

The Windows Phone game supports single-player and 4-person pass-and-play multiplayer. Single-player is more fun than you might expect thanks to the Survival Horror mode, which pits a sole human survivor against the entire city of zombies. Kill them all full of holes (everyone knows they deserve it) or reach the helicopter to win. Winning a Survival Horror game can be quite challenging since so many zombies infest the town (over 100!) and bullets can be spent awfully quickly.

Two for the price of one-ish

The actual board game of Zombies!!! has numerous expansions that add new cards and gameplay mechanics into the mix. Unfortunately, one of those expansions led to the phone game’s de-listing. After buying the base game for $4.99, players had the option to pick up the “Zombies 3.5: Not Dead yet!” expansion for an additional two dollars.

Unfortunately, the original Windows Phone 7 In-App Purchase system for Xbox-enabled games required the use of Microsoft Points instead of actual currency. When Microsoft shifted its Xbox 360 and Xbox Windows Phone economies to regional currency earlier this year, it broke the IAP components of Zombies!!! and other games. Hence the de-listings – see this article for more details.

While Microsoft chose not to allow Babaroga to update the original Windows Phone game to Windows Phone 8 (and the newer OS’s working IAP system), Babaroga did have the ability to self-publish without Xbox features. That’s exactly what they did earlier this month.

The experience of having its game de-listed due to IAPs has left Babaroga a little weary about incorporating IAPs on Windows Phone 8, however. As such, they packed both the game and the “Zombies! 3.5” expansion into a single purchase for the new $5.99 price. It’s a buck more than before, but you actually save a dollar compared to buying both components separately.

Zombies!!! is one of the most interesting board games available on Windows Phone, and we still recommend it – Xbox Achievements or no. Players who crave Achievements can grab the Windows 8 version, which retains its Xbox status.

• Zombies!!!– Windows Phone 7 and 8 – 19 MB – $5.99 – Store Link
• Zombies!!!– Windows 8 and RT – 274 MB – $4.99 – Store Link

Fruit Rocks is a Windows Phone game that calls upon you to use fruit trees and rocks to defend Earth against an alien invasion.  The game is a side scrolling action title where you hurl apples and oranges from trees to destroy a variety of aliens that have decided to invade Earth.

The game also includes bonus items that can be shot with your fruit to give you an edge in taking out the alien monsters.  Game play is challenging, cartoon graphics aren’t too shabby, and overall, Fruit Rocks is a fun game to pass the time with.

When you launch Fruit Rocks, you are presented with the option to register with Scoreoid, which allows you to participate in the online leaderboard.   If you would rather not register, just tap cancel and you will be taken to the game’s main menu.  You have to deal with this dialog box each time you launch the game and it would be nice to cancel this option permanently if you prefer not to register.

Fruit Rocks main menu has options to view the leaderboard (again, registration to Scoreoid is required), view the help screens, mute the sound/music and view the about screen.   If you are playing the trial version, you will also see an option to purchase the full version for $.99 on the main menu.  I did have an issue with the sound/music settings not remaining in place when I exited the game.  This can be a little frustrating to have repeatedly mute the sounds every time you launch the game.

Fruit Rocks has thirty-four levels of play spread across three scenarios.  Game play involves shooting fruit from trees to bash aliens into smithereens.  You also have swinging rocks suspended by balloons and carried across the screen by helicopters to use against the aliens.

With each level of play, the field of play will scroll by ending at a Safe Zone.  Your job is to take out the aliens as they scroll by.  The more aliens you take out, the higher your score.  Just be careful, you will lose points for every alien that survives and if six aliens survive your fruit onslaught, you fail the level.

To shoot the fruit, just tap, hold and pull back on the fruit.  An aiming guide will appear and when things are lined up just right, release your hold on the screen to launch your fruit.  Most fruit (oranges, apples, etc.) simply smash your aliens but the bananas act as a boomerang, traveling out a bit and then returning to the tree.

To launch your rocks just swipe at the string tying the rock to the balloons or helicopters, cutting the rocks loose.  You will have to time the cut to use the rock’s momentum to guide the rock on to the alien.

To keep things interesting some aliens are positioned in structures that have to be destroyed, some aliens require multiple hits before they will go down and some will duck-n-dodge the fruit.  You do have a few bonuses that you shoot with your fruit that will help even the playing field such as strategically placed dynamite bundles and bombs suspended in the sky.

Taking everything into consideration, Fruit Rocks is a fun game for your Windows Phone.  Fruit Rocks is a challenging game that is more likely better suited for shorter gaming spurts.  The one downside to the game is the number of gaming levels.  Thirty-four levels do go by quickly and hopefully the developer can update the game with more levels soon.

Fruit Rocks is available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices.  There is a trial version available that has six levels of play.  The full version currently running $.99 and you can find Fruit Rocks here in the Windows Phone Store.

The Xbox One launched in 13 countries last Friday, and early adopters (including much of the Windows Phone Central staff) have a fairly robust selection of launch titles to enjoy. That doesn’t mean we’re not already looking to the future, though. When you buy a console during the first month of its release, you’re investing in the games that will come later even more than the first wave of titles.

One of the most exciting early post-launch releases will be Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare from PopCap Games. Garden Warfare now has an official release date of February 18^th, 2014 for both Xbox One and Xbox 360. I actually played the game during our visit to Electronic Arts headquarters last week and came away highly impressed. Head past the break for impressions, gameplay footage, and our video interview with Garden Warfare producer, Brian Lindley!

Spin-off or spin out?

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is a spin-off of the popular Plants vs. Zombies games. Whereas the two mainline entries have been 2-dimensional tower defense games, Garden Warfare is a multiplayer-focused third-person shooter with 3D graphics. It plays a lot different from the titles that spawned it. You could be forgiven for worrying that PopCap and/or EA were stretching the brand too far with this one. I had the same fear.

On a rainy day in San Francisco just before the Xbox One launched, Electronic Arts invited journalists to try Garden Warfare for themselves. Eight of us crowded into a room filled with networked Xbox One consoles equipped with Astro Gaming headsets. After a short presentation, we joined a 24-player online match of Team Vanquish (the Plants vs. Zombies version of Team Deathmatch) against PopCap’s playtesting staff. Any doubts about PopCap jumping the shark with Garden Warfare quickly disappeared after that.

An unnatural fit made natural

To successfully spin a series off into a new genre, you need two things: proper integration of the original games’ characters and universe, and the new game must actually meet the genre standards for quality.

Garden Warfare captures the feeling of Plants vs. Zombies so very well. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, the many varied plants and zombies all translate perfectly to three dimensions. Anyone who has seen the toys or plushes would already know that, but the PvZ characters look even better in full 3D action. They radiate with personality - far more than you’d see in a typical FPS or third-person shooter.

On the sound front, the music comes from Peter McConnell, who previously composed the soundtrack for Plants vs. Zombies 2 and many classic LucasArts games. I didn’t get to hear much of Garden Warfare’s music, but it promises to feature new iterations of classic themes from the first two games. The sound effects (which I could hear just fine) have the typical PopCap zing, and Crazy Dave still makes the unintelligible voice samples he’s known for.

Characters and teams

Garden Warfare is unique among competitive shooters in that its two factions are asymmetrical in nature. The plants and zombies each have unique abilities that the other doesn’t. Owing to its predecessors’ design, plants are more defensive in nature while the zombies favor offense.

The two teams consist of multiple characters for players to choose from. On the Plants side, we saw the Peashooter (the basic all-around soldier), Sunflower (medic), Chomper (stealth), and Cactus (long-range). The zombies have a Foot Soldier, All Star (football player), Scientist (healer), and Engineer. Players can unlock variants of each unit such as the Ice Cactus, whose shots can slow and eventually freeze opponents.

Every unit boasts three special abilities in addition to its standard attacks. The Peashooter, for instance, can set down roots and become a Gatling Pea, fire explosive Chili beans, or become Hyper and move at super speed. The plants' Cactus gets to fly around as a Garlic drone, while the zombies' Engineer has a flying drone of his own. These abilities take time to recharge, so players will still need to do some old-fashioned shooting as well.

Venus zombie trap

My favorite class to play during the event was the Venus flytrap-like Chomper. Unlike other classes, the Chomper doesn’t get a projectile weapon. He’s melee-only. This puts the guy at a disadvantage in frontal assaults, where it could take him several bites to vanquish a zombie. But sneak up from behind and the Chomper can eat an opponent, scoring a delightfully-animated 1-hit kill.

As if the Chomper’s focus on sneaking up from behind wasn’t ninja enough, he also has a burrowing ability. Tap the Y button and your Chomper digs underground, at which point he can move around for a short while without being hit. If the Chomper manages to sneak up under an opponent, he gets another satisfying instant kill. Naturally zombies can see the Chomper coming and get out of the way, and some of them have abilities that force the Chomper aboveground. Still! Sneaking up on a distracted zombie and devouring him from below is way too fun.

Game Modes

Garden Warfare runs on Dice’s Frostbite Engine, the same framework that powers Battlefield 4. And like the Battlefield games of old, large-scale competitive multiplayer is this title’s main draw. It supports two 12-versus-12 game types: “Team Vanquish” and “Gardens & Graveyards.” The latter (which we didn’t pay) is objective based, with one side defending their base from the other’s onslaught.

As for Team Vanquish, the goal is simply to help your team reach 50 kills (called Vanquishes here). Team deathmatch has been done to death in first- and third-person shooters, but Garden Warfare never feels too samey. The bright, cheerful visuals, sense of humor, and delightful on-screen characters all grabbed me in a way that few shooters do.

Non-competitive gamers won’t have quite as much to do in Garden Warfare, however. The game lacks a campaign mode. PopCap wanted to focus on polishing multiplayer as much as possible with this first outing, and given the game’s release schedule there wasn’t time to do a proper story mode. But they do see Garden Warfare as a strong new franchise contender. Should the game sell well enough to warrant a sequel, the follow-up would very likely have a campaign.

Ah, but Garden Warfare does have an online cooperative mode for up to 4-players! We didn’t get to try it out, but teaming up as plants against the AI zombies and gigantic bosses like the Goliath should be almost as addicting as the versus modes. The Xbox One version even supports 2-player split-screen co-op.

All progress made during offline and online co-op contributes towards the player’s overall profile. Each character type has numerous challenges to work through, such as scoring kills with a specific weapon. Complete enough and you’ll level up with that character. Players also have an overall level that leads to unlocking goodies.

Coming soon to Xbox consoles

If you love Plants vs. Zombies or a good multiplayer game, mark February 18, 2014 on your calendar. That’s when Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare arrives at retail.

The Xbox One version will cost $39.99 while the Xbox 360 version will ring up for $29.99. The Xbox One version's split-screen and SmartGlass features (not present on 360) make up for its higher price tag. PopCap and Electronic Arts also have a PC version of Garden Warfare in the works, but it doesn’t have a release date just yet. Preorder either console version to receive two in-game card packs that will unlock various customization options.

We'll have more exclusive Xbox One game footage from our Electronic Arts visit in December!

This is a brief, but exceptional news announcement: Rockstar Games have just announced that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Mobile is headed to various mobile platforms, including “select iOS, Android, Amazon Kindle and Windows Mobile (sic) devices”. Launch time is expected to be in December.

Before Grand Theft Auto V hit the consoles a few weeks ago, San Andreas was one of the biggest titles around.

From the Rockstar website:

“Encompassing Los Santos, San Fierro, Las Venturas and everything in between, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has been upgraded for its mobile release. Newly remastered graphics including dynamic and detailed shadows, greater draw distance, an enriched color palette, plus enhanced character and car models make this the best-looking version of San Andreas yet.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas also features brand new touch controls including contextual control options to display buttons only when you need them and three different control schemes for driving and maneuvering, as well as a reworked checkpoint system for easier progression.”

That’s probably the best news of the morning, as for years people have been yearning for some mobile GTA action. Even better is the fact that Windows Phone is right up there now with iOS and Android for getting this title, though it still remains to be seen if it will be a day-one availability or shortly thereafter.

Regardless, get ready to have some fun. Anyone else now reconsidering getting a Lumia 1520 for its giant display and 2.2 GHz Quad-core processor?

Source: Rockstar Games; Thanks, @IceDree, for the tip!

Today, EA has kicked off a rather exciting deal on six of its Xbox Windows Phone titles, currently available on the store. Should you be staring at your Games collection and wondering just what can be added to waste some more of those minutes, look no further. Hop on past the break to find out exactly which games EA has put on sale just for you

It's worth noting that all these games are Xbox Live enabled. That means you'll be able to add some gamerscore to your ID and enjoy a complete experience from a well-established publisher. Without further ado, here are the titles and respective store links:

• The Sims 3 - $3.99 (previously $6.99)
• The Game of Life - $1.99 (previously $2.99)
• Picnic Wars - $1.99 (previously $2.99)
• MONOPOLY - $2.99 (previously $4.99)
• RISK - $1.99 (previously $2.99)
• Zuma's Revenge - $0.99 (previously $2.99)

The best part about the above deals as not only can Windows Phone 8 owners take advantage of the lowered pricing, but also those who still rock older hardware. It's not known how long these offers will remain active for. Which titles will you be downloading?

via: Windows Phone Italy

We’re big fans of apps that combine a variety of services and novel ideas into one. Tunely is a new game for Windows Phone that does just that. It takes the huge music library of Nokia MixRadio and creates a fun game that tests your music knowledge. Let’s check it out.

Tunely comes to the Windows Phone from Shayne Boyer, the developer behind an app we’ve covered before called I’m Here. He’s also the developer behind the Windows Phone app for the popular podcast the Windows Developer Show.  How’s Tunely? It’s awesome.

Tunely is a game for music fans. Load up the app and start playing. You’ll be picking your favorite genre of music and a difficulty level. You’ve got three levels to choose from –Fan, Roadie or Tour Manager. The difficulty goes up between each level. When you play as a “Fan” you’re only having to guess the name of the artist for the specific track playing. Play as a “Roadie” and you’ll need to guess the name of the song. Want to really test your music knowledge? Then you’ll need to play as the “Tour Manager” and have the options of either artist and/or song. The faster you make a selection the more points you get.

Games are fairly short, but that’s a good thing. It allows you to quickly play games here and there. It’s a very mobile game. After the game you’ll be able to review all the tracks you heard and head to either Xbox Music or Nokia MixRadio. You can also share them if you want.

There are two updates currently coming out for Tunely. Version 1.1 fixes a volume issue with the player and a minor randomization issue. It will also address a bug with removing the in-app purchase which you can read about below. There’s also a Windows 8 version of Tunely in the works that will sync your profile with the Windows Phone version of the app.

Tunely is a free game for Windows Phone 8. It’s ad-supported, but you can remove those ads for just $0.99. However, there is a bug in the current version in the Store that will make the app crash after buying the ads. Shayne, the developer, has already submitted a fix. You might want to hold off on removing those ads until it has been fixed. In the meantime, pick it up in the Windows Phone Store!

Polyhegrams is a challenging, wonderfully drawn up Windows Phone word game developed through the AppCampus.  You are tasked with solving word challenges by building words from letters scattered about various three-dimensional objects.

In celebration of the Thanksgiving Holiday, the developer will be offering Polyhegrams free (a $1.49 savings).  The free offer will begin on Thursday, November 28, 2013, and will run through the weekend.

As an added bonus, the free offer also extends to the Windows 8 version of Polyhegrams.

If you like word games, Polyhegrams is a challenging, mildly addictive game that is a must to try, especially with the game being available free.

Polyhegrams is available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices.  You can find Polyhegrams here in the Windows Phone Store and the Windows 8 version of the game here in the Windows Store.  There is a trial version available for both just in case you want to take the game for a spin before Thursday.

Doodle Kingdom is the latest installment in the Doodle series games for our Windows Phones.  The Windows Phone 8 game joins Doodle Devil and Doodle God in the Store and challenges you with creating your own Medieval Kingdom.

You can create castles, knights, dragons, dwarves and other elements to make your Kingdom complete.  Add a few side quests and a hero mini-game and Doodle Kingdom is an appealing gaming option for Windows Phone 8.

Game play is fairly simple with Doodle Kingdom in that you combine the various elements of your Kingdom to create and expand your domain.  For example, if you combine the human element with the forest element you’ll get lumber and berry elements.

As key elements become unlocked, quests become available where you can play the role of a knight, warlock or dragon.  You also have a "My Hero" mini-game that is an “infinity runner” style game where you guide a knight through various dangers.

In just tinkering with Doodle Kingdom for a short time, it comes across as an entertaining puzzle type game and a nice addition to the Doodle game series.  There is a free trial version available for Doodle Kingdom with the full version running $1.99.

Doodle Kingdom is available for Windows Phone 8 devices and you can find it all here in the Windows Phone Store.

Thanks, Jason, for the tip!

AE Roulette 3D is an entertaining game that brings a little casino action to our Windows Phone.  The 3D graphics are appealing, game play is realistic and the only thing missing is the noise from the slot machines in the background.

AE Roulette 3D makes for a fun casino game for your Windows Phone and a nice addition to the games of chance genre.

AE Roulette 3D’s main menu offers options that circle the roulette wheel that includes viewing additional games from the developer, links to rate the game in the Windows Phone Store, view your gaming stats, view the help screens, and access the games settings.  You also have the option to login with your Facebook account and invite friends to join in on the action.

Settings cover sound and music levels along with three choices of table colors. 

To jump into the game, tap the play symbol that rests in the center of the roulette wheel.  When you first play AE Roulette 3D, the game will walk you through a tutorial that shows you how to bet and how to transition between the betting table and wheel.

Game play follows along the traditional game of roulette.  Just tap/hold and drag you chips on to the betting table.  When all bets are placed, you can either tap the spin button or sideswipe to view the roulette wheel.

Should the roulette table tap you dry of cash, you can earn chips by visiting various online sites or buy chips via in-app purchases.  While re-installing the game would replenish your cash, it also wipes out your gaming stats.

AE Roulette 3D is a nicely drawn-up version of the classic casino game.  Graphics and animations are smooth, game play simple and for the most part all you need is a little luck for success.  The only downside to AE Roulette 3D is that it lacks the diversity a full casino game will have.  Games that if you get bored with roulette you can move to Blackjack or slots.  For the die-hard roulette gamer, AE Roulette 3D will have plenty of appeal.  Others may find it a little lacking.

AE Roulette 3D is a free game and is available for both Windows Phone 7.x and 8 devices.  You can find your copy of AE Roulette 3D here in the Windows Phone Store.

Thanks, Mark W. for the tip!

Since Windows Phone did not receive a new Xbox game last week, my review this week will look at an indie game from Singapore-based developer Aureoline Tetrahedron.

Terrene is a vector graphics game for Windows Phone 8 that looks deceptively similar to arcade classic Asteroids. In fact, it turns out that “terrene” is kind of a synonym for “asteroid.” Who knew? Surface details aside, Terrene’s gameplay and atmosphere are more challenging and contemplative than Atari’s classic arcade game. Do smart ideas make for smart game design? Read on to find out.

One line at a time

As first glance, Terrene does look just Asteroids. Players control a spaceship that must avoid oncoming asteroids in order to survive. The ship and asteroids are vector-based, meaning their visuals are composed of lines instead of sprites or polygons.

Terrene’s low-key visual presentation lacks the neon color and flashy effects of games like geoDefense, but it’s not entirely devoid of color. The “Extra Content” menu allows players to choose from eight different themes. These basically just swap the background color for something brighter than the default gray. But choice is always good, and I enjoy the classy theme names like “Tangerine Lambda” and “Azure Atmosphere.” Wait a minute, isn’t Lambda the forbidden dance?

Okay, the game’s single piano music track is unlikely to stir a dancer’s loins. But it does imbue Terrene with a pensive mood that complements its mildly educational focus (which we’ll get to in a bit). It would not be mean to describe the music as serene.

Space tractor

Although Terrene shares a similar visual design with Asteroids, its gameplay works much differently. Your Federation logo-like ship lacks a weapon, for one thing. No blasting space debris to pieces here. More significantly, the player ship doesn’t even have thrusters. Without a standard means of propulsion, the ship is forced to use a tractor beam to get around.

Tapping an oncoming asteroid pulls your craft towards the object. The catch is it also pulls the rock towards the ship. Pull too long and you’re guaranteed to strike the asteroid and lose a life. That serves as a metaphor for human relationships, if you think about it. No matter how much you love someone, you have to give them some space. Cling too hard and the whole thing comes crashing down on both of you.

Navigating a field of asteroids by jumping from rock to rock can be quite challenging. Besides learning when to let go, you also need to master pulling on rocks that have already passed your ship by in order to slow down or just get out of harm’s way. There are usually numerous asteroids on-screen (they come in procedurally generated patterns) so while you’re negotiating between one or two rocks, another one will often come along and smash your ship to dust.

Whether you can get your head around Terrene’s physics-based dangers and unique method of navigation is hard to predict. Me, I found the rock-hopping to be more challenging than necessary. I love games with grappling mechanics such as Bionic Commando Rearmed and Super Metroid. But the core mechanics in those games are so much easier to grasp.

To my mind, Terrene would be more approachable if firing your tractor beam at an asteroid did not also pull the asteroids towards your ship. Jumping from rock to rock without getting hit would still provide plenty of challenge, but that change would dial down the frustration a bit.

What’s in a word?

Terrene’s store page claims the game revolves around “space physics, social interaction and logophilia.” That description is inaccurate because the Windows Phone version has no social features at all. The Android game (which released only a week before this one) at least had leaderboards, but calling a leaderboard “social interaction” is a stretch.

I can’t blame anyone for lack of familiarity with the last word in the above description: logophilia. The term (not found in actual online dictionaries) means “love of words.” Terrene actually does involve words, though you wouldn’t know from its deliberately obtuse store description or store screenshots.

From time to time, one of two items will float by during gameplay. The first is an extra life. The more interesting items are called data disks. When the player picks up one of these disks, the game displays the definition of a random obscure word at the bottom of the screen. According to the help screen, these words are the lost “lores” of mankind.

A couple of examples:

• Onygophagist: a nail biter
• Emetic: causing vomiting, nauseous

The words are obscure and complex, to the extent that players are unlikely to remember them. The oddness of those words is likely a result of the developer originating from Singapore, where English is only one of four national languages.

I like the idea of an action game teaching players new vocabulary words. But the implementation needs improvement. First, the words themselves are just too unlikely to be used or remembered by players. Some of these words might as well be Linnean names for animals – so few people would remember them, so why try to teach them?

Word choice aside, the data disk collection isn’t “gamified” enough.  See, the words you collect don’t get saved anywhere. You could end up seeing the same word again the next time you play, or never again. So much potential wasted.

What should happen is any words collected get unlocked in a word list. Maybe the same word won’t show up again until the player has collected them all. That way, the collectible element would add replay value to the game. And browsing the list of words outside of gameplay would give players a much better chance to learn and retain the word.

Too close for comfort

The developer based Terrene on an iOS game called Tractor Beam. Both games play the same way, though Tractor Beam lacks the word learning element. Unfortunately, Aureoline Tetrahedron was too honest about his gameplay inspiration. He credits Tractor Beam developer Manufacturing Content within Terrene and on its store page.

The result? Manufacturing Content actually asked Aureoline to pull Terrene from the Android and Windows Phone stores. Never mind that Tractor Beam is only available on iOS, NOT the two platforms where Terrene ended up. Aureoline has already de-listed the Android version of Terrene (whether forced by Google or not, I don’t know). According to this blog post, the Windows Phone version will eventually disappear as well.

The practice of cloning games has been going on ever since the invention of arcades. Imagine if the makers of every Doodle Jump clone pulled their games from the market; a whole genre would disappear. It’s not wise to tell another developer “Hey! I copied your game!” But I don’t believe Terrene and Tractor Beam are so similar that Aureoline should pull his own game, regardless of what Manufacturing Content says.

The best scenario would be for Aureoline to “sack up” and continue improving on Terrene. The game is rough – as any game developed by a single inexperienced programmer is likely to be. But by revising the store description to be more honest and informative, adding online leaderboards, and allowing players to collect and view words outside of gameplay, Terrene could become a special indie title. In case all that doesn’t happen and you’re still interested, buy the game now while it’s still around!

• Terrene– Windows Phone 8 – 33 MB – $.99 – Store Link

10tons is a popular Windows Phone development house, which has numerous titles published on the store. If you've not heard of the brand before, fear not as this is the talent behind the likes of Sparkle 2, Azkend and more. The developer has today placed three Windows Phone games on sale to celebrate Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

This isn't the first sale 10tons has held. The company recently celebrated its 10th anniversary where we saw numerous Windows Phone games on sale. So, which games are now available for less? How does King Oddball, Azkend and Sparkle sound?

King Oddball

King Oddball is an interesting and unique title (and by unique, we mean it will almost certainly freak you out), which sees the player control a disembodied head who can throw boulders with his tongue to effectively conquer the world. You wouldn't be wrong to think the gameplay is much like Angry Birds, but there's enough here to keep you from feeling cheated. 

Strongly recommended if you enjoy destroying things on-screen. You can download King Oddball from the Windows Phone Store for $1.49 (usually $2.49).

Azkend

Fan of puzzle games? You'll love Azkend. As one could imagine, Azkend is a puzzle title from 10tons, but you're dealing with relics. you're tasked with returning a relic discovered by your archaeological team, which is cursed, to a temple. It's not that easy though (wouldn't be much of an entertaining game if this were the case) and you'll need all your wits about you to succeed.

You can download Azkend from the Windows Phone Store for $1.49 (usually $2.49).

Sparkle

Sparkle is a very popular game for Windows Phone and another enjoyable puzzle/action title from 10tons. If you've played Zuma before you'll find Sparkles incredibly easy to get into, but the game is strong enough to stand on its own. If anything, we view Sparkles as more of a challenge than Zuma, so expect to lose numerous hours staring at your screen.

You can download Sparkle from the Windows Phone Store for $1.49 (usually $2.49).

If you're looking to take advantage of these temporary prices, do hurry as the offer ends December 3rd. Check out the 10tons website for more deals on other platforms.

There’s never too many of casual games to pass (or waste) time, right? Here’s another one for Windows Phone users now. The popular Android game – Sky Cups – has arrived on the Windows Phone Store now.

Sky Cups reinvents the classic Match 3 genre with an innovative vertical gameplay. The game brings together the best elements of popular games - Match 3, Bejeweled, and Fruit Ninja. It features over 90 levels, with more promised in future updates. There are five different worlds with unique gameplay features and several gameplay modes like arcade, puzzle, bubbles, and jewels.

The game is easy to start, and quite addictive. It’s also, in a way, very quick. It jumps from levels to levels very fast and has hurried gameplay transitions. That’s a good thing since you end up playing several levels in a short five minute break.

The game is available for free for Windows Phone 8 devices only from the Windows Phone Store. It’s quite popular on Android with a 4.8 rating with 426 reviews. Try it out, and let us know how you like it. Which other Android game would you like to come to Windows Phone soon?

Source: @WPScoops on Twitter

And here’s another one! Yesterday I wrote about the popular Android game – Sky Cups – arriving on Windows Phone, and then we learnt that Hill Climb Racing has also hit the Store.

Hill Climb Racing is a very popular game on Android, judging from a 4.7 rating with over 900,000 reviews, and is known as one of the most addictive and entertaining physics based driving game.

The game follows the journey of Newton Bill, a young aspiring uphill racer. His journey takes him to where no ride has ever been before. With little respect to the laws of physics, Newton Bill will not rest until he has conquered the highest hills up on the moon!

The game features unique hill climbing environments - Countryside, Desert, Arctic, and the Moon - with 16 different vehicles. You can gain bonuses from daring tricks and collect coins to upgrade your car’s engine, suspension, tires, and 4WD.

Hill Climb Racing has pretty neat graphics and features smooth physics simulation. Once you start indulging in the game, it’s hard to put it down. You can download this fun, casual game for free for Windows Phone 8 devices from the Windows Phone Store. Download it right away, and let us know how you like it.

Thanks everybody for the tip!