It’s never good news when a downloadable game gets delisted, regardless of platform. But a delisting is especially unfortunate for Windows Phone users, because delisted Windows Phone games can’t be redownloaded even by users who have purchased them. Nor can we back games up and restore them later. Just one of many issues we’ve lamented in the past that Microsoft still needs to fix.

Unfortunately, another couple of Xbox Windows Phone games disappeared from the Store at the start of the year: Tower Bloxx: New York and 3D Brick Breaker Revolutionfrom publisher Digital Chocolate. Neither game was anything special – especially not 3D Brick Breaker. But again, you have to feel for people like yours truly who paid money for those titles and can now lose access to them forever.

In addition to those two vanished games, EA’s Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 has also dropped from the Store. Read on to learn about all three titles and what factors might have led to their disappearance.

Tower Bloxx: New York

This casual game launched alongside Windows Phone 7 in 2010. The Tower Bloxx series involves dropping block-shaped building floors on top of each other in order to create the tallest possible structure. Maybe that sounds a bit like the upcoming mobile Xbox game Throne Together, but Tower Bloxx is all about timing, not puzzles. Each block sways back and forth above the stack, and players just need to tap the screen to drop it at the right time.

Tower Bloxx: New York had a few things going for it: multiple game modes (including local multiplayer), a decently cute art style, and easy to learn gameplay. See our review for more details.

We’ll most remember this one for its easy Achievements. The game only had five of them, and they could be earned in four or five hours total. Not the best way to extend a game’s longevity – two modes had no Achievements at all. Still, Tower Bloxx was a staple purchase for mobile Achievement hunters.

• Tower Bloxx: New York– Windows Phone 7 and 8 – 16 MB - $2.99 – Store Link (de-listed)

3D Brick Breaker Revolution

Digital Chocolate’s sole follow-up to Tower Bloxx arrived on Windows Phone 7 back in December of 2010. This one should have been an easy win; how hard is it to make a brick breaking game in the style of Arkanoid? But 3D Brick Breaker Revolution turned out pretty awful; it’s my pick for the worst Xbox Windows Phone game of 2010.

The first problem you’d notice with this one is its graphics. They are technically 3D, but extremely basic and low resolution. Simple 3D graphics can work, but only with talented artistry. 3D Brick Breaker is just ugly. It also ran at a poor frame rate on Windows Phone 7 devices, making the choice to go with polygonal graphics an even worse decision.

The game’s Store page isn’t quite honest about its looks, either. The screenshots show a portrait orientation when the Windows Phone version is played entirely in landscape mode.

As if the fugliness wasn’t bad enough, 3D Brick Breaker is also super hard. Part of that difficulty stems from poor controls. The rest is just unfair game design and unrealistic Achievement requirements. In short, nobody is missing out too much by not playing this one.

• 3D Brick Breaker Revolution– Windows Phone 7 and 8 – 17 MB - $2.99 – Store Link (de-listed)

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12

The third and final game to be pulled from the Store actually disappeared a while ago, but we’re just now mentioning it. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 from Electronic Arts launched on Windows Phone 7 and 8 fairly recently: May 2013.

Tiger Woods 12 was part of Nokia’s deal with EA that saw over 20 Xbox games appear on Nokia devices as timed exclusives. All of those games eventually became available to general Windows Phone audiences about six months after their initial release. All except for Tiger Woods, that is. It dropped from the Store before that could happen.

Unlike the Digital Chocolate games, we don’t have to speculate about why Electronic Arts chose to remove Tiger Woods 12. In October of last year, EA decided to end its partnership with pro golfer Tiger Woods. The partnership had weathered a well-publicized infidelity scandal in 2009, but it couldn’t last forever. Future games in the long-running golf series will simply go by the PGA Tour brand rather than using a golfer’s name.

Getting back to Windows Phone, it seems that EA decided to drop Tiger Woods 12 from the platform rather than make it available to general Windows Phone audiences. A somewhat understandable move, although the game remains conspicuously available on iOS and Android. So maybe this one is a mystery after all. We’ve reached out to EA for comment and will update if they respond.

The loss of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 is a shame because it leaves Xbox Windows Phone gamers with only a single golfing title to play: Gameloft’s Let’s Golf 2. Tiger Woods took a more realistic approach to the sport, even allowing players to create and customize a unique golfer. Other than slightly dated 3D graphics (Windows Phone 7, after all) and mostly broken local Wi-Fi multiplayer, Tiger Woods 12 provided a solid and robust game of links.

• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12– Windows Phone 7 or 8 - $2.99 – 225 MB – Store Link (de-listed)

Disappearing acts

Sad to say, but there is quite a precedent for Xbox Windows Phone games dropping from the Store. The first games to go were licensed titles Fast & Furious: Adrenaline from I-Play, and Star Wars Cantina (pictured above) and Star Wars: Battle for Hoth from THQ, all back in Fall 2011. Several more games would follow in 2012 and 2013.

More recently, a whopping 11 Xbox games got delisted from the Store in September of last year. These included third-party titles and even a couple of Microsoft properties like Tentacles and Beards & Beaks. The reason for the mass delisting in all but one case was In-App Purchases. Virtually every Windows Phone 7 game that supported In-App Purchases got culled, though somehow a few Miniclip titles survived. One of the Unfortunate 11 – KenKen– did not support IAPs, and neither Microsoft nor Capcom has ever explained its disappearance.

One month later, three early Xbox Windows Phone 7 titles from Gameloft suddenly dropped from the Store: Assassin’s Creed, Brain Challenge, and UNO HD. In this case, the delisting was a mistake, and all three games returned to life a short time later.

Next came Tiger Woods 12, and now Tower Bloxx: New York and the abysmal 3D Brick Breaker Revolution. The timing of the latter two games (the beginning of 2014) could provide a clue as to their disappearance. Perhaps publisher Digital Chocolate had signed an agreement with Microsoft to publish the games for a finite length of time. That could explain why they (like several other launch game makers) were allowed to self-publish Xbox games rather than being forced to use Microsoft as a publisher.

Whatever the agreement, Digital Chocolate didn’t show much commitment to the platform. Neither game was ever updated, nor did the publisher produce more games after 2010. Of course we’ve reached out to Digital Chocolate for comment, and will update if they choose to respond.

Are you a fan of dice games? If so, you've probably heard of Yatzy for Windows Phone. The game boasts three game modes as well as multi-tabling support for up to 4 games at any given time. Also available on iOS, the Windows Phone counterpart is racking up positive reviews and downloads. Partnering with myAppFree, the developer has made Yatzy available for free through the next 24 hours.

Fear not if you simply have no idea what the game is and what this article details. Yatzy is open and welcoming for everyone, no matter what your experience level is with the classic game. Three difficulty levels are available to select from, which suit different skills and enable you to advance through the game. For those who enjoy taking risks, there's the ability to bet using Game.IO Chips.

Whether you're playing alone, with friends on a single Windows Phone or taking on other players with online multiplayer, it's an addictive experience that will surely suck hours out of your life.

Here are some features included in the game (note that this is the premium version of Yatzy and not the free edition):

• Three game modes - Yatzy (Scandinavian - 5 dice), Maxi Yatzy (6 dice) & American Yatzy (5 dice)
• Pass 'N Play with friends
• Online mode - play against the best opponents worldwide
• Bet mode - take risks and win more
• Multi-tabling
• Progressive daily bonus
• Timers for Online mode
• See how many players are online
• Get additional points for your second Yatzy
• Leaderboards
• Send your suggestions or issues through the Customer support form
• History of all games and statistics
• Share your results on social network
• Crisp graphics and sounds effects
• Ads Free
• Available in 7 languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Danish, Swedish and Russian

You can download Yatzy from the Windows Phone Store for free (usually $0.99 - available for both Windows Phone 7 and 8), as well as myAppFree (second QR code).

Hey all you penny-pinchers who decry the high prices that Square-Enix charges for its mobile role-playing games. This is your week. Thanks to the magic of the Xbox Red Stripe Deal, Chaos Rings, a game that has never gone on sale before, is now half off! $4.99 is certainly more palatable than $9.99, especially for one of the finest mobile RPGs in existence and single best games on Windows Phone.

The Red Stripe Deals continue to include six discounted games or apps per week in 2014 as opposed to last year’s three. This week’s haul consists mostly of games, with only a single app – Ipnos Software’s Relax Melodies Premium– on sale for 99 cents. The non-Xbox sale games include Chimpact from Yipee! Entertainment for 99 cents, Curling 3D from MaxNick (makers of Spider Jack) for $2.49, Iron Fist Boxing from Realtech VR for $1.49, and Shelter from Survivalist Games for 99 cents.

Head past the break for details, screenshots, and Store Links!

Chaos Rings (Windows Phone 7 with 512 MB of RAM and Windows Phone 8 with 1 GB of RAM)

Regular price: $9.99 Sale price: $4.99 Download size: 775 MB (2-3 GB required to download) Store Link

Chaos Rings tells a multithreaded narrative revolving around eight people who must participate in a mysterious life or death tournament against their wills. The winners receive eternal life. Each of the four pairs has their own short playthrough (around six hours), and finishing everyone’s story opens up a conclusion to the entire tale. Plus some equipment earned from enemies carries over between those stories. On the whole it’s a clever way to make the game digestible for mobile audiences.

Graphically, Chaos Rings works much like Final Fantasy VII. Outside of battle, backgrounds are pre-rendered and characters are 3D. During battles and cinemas, everything uses 3D graphics. The original game dates back a couple of years, but the character designs and artistry still impress. Chaos Rings also has a fantastic soundtrack and Japanese voice acting with text in English or Japanese.

If you like role-playing games at all, Chaos Rings is a must-buy. Check out our in-depth review for more details. Chaos Rings’ Achievements are actually reasonable and can be accomplished with very little busywork compared to the Windows Phone Final Fantasy titles. Windows Phone Central even has an exclusive Achievement Guide to make things easier.

Chimpact (Windows Phone 8)

Regular price: $1.99 Sale price: $.99 Download size: 21 MB Store Link

What would happen if you crossed an endless jumping game with the sling-shot mechanics of Angry Birds? You’d get something like Chimpact, that’s what.

This one actually features two game modes with multiple levels to beat, so it’s not actually endless like Doodle Jump. But you’ll do plenty of climbing up the screen using slingshot-like hammocks. Just pull back on a platform, aim, and launch the monkee up to collect bananas and reach the next platform.

Chimpact is one of the best looking indie games on Windows Phone. Our own George Ponder gives it two bananas up.

Features:

• Simple, one-touch gameplay
• Four stunningly lush worlds with 12 levels each
• Two complete game modes to beat: Gem Quest and Totem Trail
• 240 challenge medallions to earn
• Eight abilities to earn and three chimps to unlock
• Beautiful environments + cute characters

Curling 3D (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $4.99 Sale price: $2.49 Download size: 27 MB Store Link

Gamers will recognize Russian developer MaxNick for its Xbox Live titles Spider Jack and Turn N Run. MaxNick has also released several indie games, including this realistic curling simulator.

Curling is a sport that nobody has ever heard of in the United States, but I’m pretty sure they play it somewhere. What better way to learn about it than with a highly rated videogame? With strong graphics, physics, and local multiplayer, this one just might make a fan of you.

Features:

• Realistic, hi-res, 3D simulation of Curling
• Complete control of force, direction, and rotation of the stone
• Advanced features permit tactics used in actual play of the game called "chess on ice"
• Detailed instructions for gameplay
• Can be played by one player against the computer, or two players against each other
• Exploits advanced physics engine of WP7 OS to simulate realistic motion
• Easy and intuitive controls
• Incorporates the true rules of curling
• Player vs. computer (artificial intelligence) with three levels of difficulty
• Multiplayer gameplay for two players
• A variety of character models
• Choice of player sex and 12 countries for teams
• Scoring of intermediate and total results
• Detailed graphics and animation
• Excellent sound design

Iron Fist Boxing (Windows Phone 8)

Regular price: $2.99 Sale price: $1.49 Download size: 75 MB Store Link

No, this game doesn’t star Marvel’s Immortal Iron Fist. Iron Fist Boxing is not even a straight boxing game – it features multiple fighting styles, making it an MMA fighter.

With multiple game modes, lots of characters, and fairly detailed 3D graphics, Iron Fist Boxing looks like one of the better single-player boxing/fighting games available for Windows Phone. Check out the developer’s thread in our forums for more details.

Features:

• Experience high quality audio and real time 3D on Windows Phone 8
• Enjoy 6 game modes: Story mode, sparring, training and introducing the Speed Bag training, Punching Bag training and Punch-o-Meter.
• Story mode: Experience a new world career in Brazil, Canada, Thailand, and USA.
• Training mode: Train yourself for the Story mode.
• Speed bag mode: Hit a speed bag as fast as you can.
• Punching bag: Hit a punching bag in a given same sequence.
• Punch-o-Meter: Hold you device and hit as hard as you can.
• Sparring mode: Fight against a random fighter.
• Play up to 32 characters with MMA combat styles and more: Boxing, Muay Thai, Savate, Kick Boxing, Brawler and Full Contact.
• Gain access to new costumes and new attacks.
• New camera views, characters can now move on the ring, many super moves and dodges added.

Shelter (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $1.99 Sale price: $.99 Download size: 20 MB Store Link

We’ve all shot our share of zombies over the years, usually in FPS games like Left 4 Dead. These days, a zombie game needs a unique gameplay style to be interesting – just look at the board game Zombies!!! for a prime example.

Shelter is just such a game. Combining tower defense (which the developer mistakenly calls castle defense) with a card game, it provides both unique gameplay and plenty of zombie killing. The art is gorgeous, too.

Features:

• Deep but accessible game-play. Easy to learn. Hard to master.
• More than 100 game cards.
• Integrated deck builder for deeply customisable play.
• Graphic novel & comic inspired hand drawn artwork.
• Compelling story and characters.
• 5 Campaign levels including a free roaming level.

Relax Melodies Premium (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $1.99 Sale price: $.99 Download size: 124 MB Store Link

You know what sounds I like to hear when I’m lying down to sleep? A nice animated cartoon like Bob’s Burgers or King of the Hill. But lots of people, they like to hear rainstorms, ocean waves, dogs mating, and stuff like that. Here’s an app that offers pretty much all the sleep sounds you could want (maybe not the dogs) with lots of good features to boot. George Ponder likes it, I hear.

Features:

• Mix your favorite sounds together with different volume to create your own personal melodies
• 82 High quality ambient sounds including 6 binaural beat frequencies for brainwave entrainment
• Timer system to stop the melodies when you go to sleep
• Individual sound volume adjustment
• Save, name and replay your favorite mixes easily
• Complete and easy to follow help screen

Are you guys picking up any of this week’s sale games and apps? Keep in mind there’s an Electronic Arts game sale going on too, which we’ll cover in another post.

On top of a stellar Red Stripe Deal this week (Chaos Rings), Windows Phone gamers have another Xbox game sale to tempt their wallets. 10 Electronic Arts games are on sale for 30-40 percent off.

The most exciting discount comes in Plants vs. Zombies, a terrific game that hardly ever goes on sale. Both it and Bejeweled Live are three bucks. A slew of games that regularly sell for $2.99 will ring up for $1.99 instead this week, including: Battleship, Blobster, The Game of LIFE, iBomber Defense (ugh), Jet Set Go, Spy Mouse, Tetris, and Yahtzee.

Descriptions and Store Links after the break!

Plants vs. Zombies (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $4.99 Sale price: $2.99 Download size: 82 MB Store Link

Alright, so iOS and Android are enjoying Plants vs. Zombies 2 while Windows Phone users languish with the first game. That is regrettable. But on the other hand, the original Plants vs. Zombies is a game that everyone needs to play. I get the feeling that some of you still haven’t tried it yet, in which case this sale gives you the perfect excuse to snag it up already. How else will PopCap know that we want the sequel?

Plants vs. Zombies is a tower defense game like no other. Zombies are invading the player’s home, and only a host of attack plants will fend them off. The variety of towers, err, plants at your disposal (49 in all!) is amazing and allows for all kinds of strategies.

Adventure Mode’s 50 levels will take a fair while to plow through, but that’s only half the game. 19 unlockable minigames really do flesh out the package and keep the fun going. Even when you’re not playing, don’t be surprised if the catchy soundtrack (including a brilliant music video during the end credits) gets stuck in your head. Check out our full review and developer interview for more information.

Battleship (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $2.99 Sale price: $1.99 Download size: 46 MB Store Link

Battleship is an adaptation of the popular board game from Milton Bradley. In the Classic game type, two sides take turns blindly firing at each other, trying to find and destroy the other’s ships. Yawn! Salvo mode works much like classic, but moves faster than traditional games because you’re allowed to fire as many shots per turn as you have remaining ships. So much better. The new Superweapon mode adds a variety of weapons to the gameplay, mixing up the traditional dynamics.

This was actually the first Xbox Windows Phone game to support online multiplayer. However, said multiplayer is super buggy and the whole game is super slow and takes forever to load. Check out our review for the scoop.

Bejeweled Live (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $4.99 Sale price: $2.99 Download size: 46 MB Store Link

Bejeweled is the classic match-3 puzzle game that has enchanted casual gamers across a variety of platforms. If you’re hungry for a simple puzzle game to play whenever a spare moment pops up, Bejeweled is a good place to look. As our review indicates, the Windows Phone version has three ways to play: Classic, Race the Clock, and Endless. It’s also got some tough and grindy Achievements despite being a casual title, but that’s PopCap games for you.

Unless you just want the Achievements, I would strongly suggest you skip this one and buy Bejeweled Live+ instead. It’s $3 all the time and a much better game to boot. See our Live+ review if you need convincing.

Blobster (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $2.99 Sale price: $1.99 Download size: 13 MB Store Link

This is the first time that former Nokia exclusive Blobster has gone on sale. A casual platforming game, players control a little blob who must stop the Big and Powerful Corporation from polluting the land of Blobtopia.

Let’s be honest, Blobster is not the most impressive game in the Windows Phone lineup. The backgrounds are completely flat and the rest of the visuals lack flair as well. But the Achievements are pretty quick and easy, as Arsenic 17’s Achievement Guide reveals. Maybe you’ll soldier through it for the GamerScore.

The Game of LIFE (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $2.99 Sale price: $1.99 Download size: 23 MB Store Link

The Game of Life brings the popular board game to your phone. It simulates a person’s path through life, from getting a first job, going to college, getting married, having kids, and eventually retiring. Players spin a wheel for movement, collect ‘Share the Wealth’ cards that help them or hinder opponents, and occasionally choose between different life paths to follow.

The Windows Phone port supports single- or local multiplayer – no online play, unfortunately. But the Achievements are fairly easy and the game itself is decently interesting for a few playthroughs. Check out our review for lots of details.

iBomber Defense (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $2.99 Sale price: $1.99 Download size: 71 MB Store Link

I don’t say this often, but here’s a game nobody should buy. Scottish developer Cobra ported iBomber Defense and Storm in a Teacup to Windows Phone. Both came out pretty bad, but iBomber Defense is the worse of the two.

What would otherwise be a by-the-numbers but fun World War II-themed tower defense game is ruined by extreme bugginess and poor frame rates. The game crashes so much, it makes several of the overly difficult Achievements just about impossible. Even after several updates, iBomber Defense remains a buggy mess. See our review for more glitch-filled horror stories.

Jet Set Go (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $2.99 Sale price: $1.99 Download size: 40 MB Store Link

This marks the first time that former Nokia exclusive Jet Set Go has been on sale.

Jet Set Go is a time management game that looks quite a lot like Sally’s Salon. This one has a less feminine theme though, so even insecure male gamers will be able to play it! Instead of running a salon or a day spa, the game puts players in charge of a travel agency. Guys travel too!

Tending to the various customers involves a variety of light travel-themed minigames like choosing destinations, hotels, itineraries, and more. Keep them happy and you’ll rake in the money. Earnings can then be spent on upgrades to increase your agency’s appeal.

The game stretches on a bit long and requires a bit of grinding, but otherwise the Achievements are fairly easy. See our review for more information.

Spy Mouse (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $2.99 Sale price: $1.99 Download size: 111 MB Store Link

Spy Mouse's developer Firemint is best known for popularizing the line-drawing genre with Flight Control. In this one, they’ve utilized that line drawing tech to make a stealth game. Players control the titular mouse by drawing a path around each level. He’ll need to grab cheese and reach the level exit without being nabbed by patrolling cats.

Each level has three optional goals such as not being spotted, drawing only one continuous path, and finishing within a certain time limit. Completing every level with those goals completed will net some tasty Achievements.

Tetris (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $2.99 Sale price: $1.99 Download size: 10 MB Store Link

The Windows Phone version of Tetris was actually quite slick back when it launched in 2010. It’s got great visuals and a good remix of the classic Tetris theme ‘Korobeiniki.’ There are numerous gameplay variants such as Gravity and Radical that add a bit of variety to the game we’ve all played a million times before.

Some have complained about the touch screen controls (swipe left and right to steer, tap to rotate, and swipe down to drop pieces), but I find them to be natural and effective enough. Many of us older players are basically done with Tetris, having played it to death on GameBoy and DS (the best version) ages ago. But hey, maybe you still need a falling block puzzle game in your life.

Yahtzee (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $2.99 Sale price: $1.99 Download size: 24 MB Store Link

Sure the clone game Yahtzy is free today, but Achievement hunters will prefer to stick with the real thing. Single-player Yahtzee is kind of boring and the CPU cheats like a mother. But the presentation is good, and did I mention Achievements?

Will you be buying some of these sale games, dear readers?

The official manual app for Grand Theft Auto V is now available at the Windows Phone Store. The manual has over 100 pages covering everything from game controls and features a tour through the local neighborhoods and activities across Los Santos and Blaine County.

We’re glad that the GTA V manual has made its way to Windows Phone, but we’re more eager about Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It has already arrived at iOS and Android last December, but Windows Phone fans are still eagerly waiting. Officially, the last thing we’ve heard from Rockstar Games is to stay tuned for the Windows Phone version release coming soon. All we can do right now is wait.

GTAV: The Manual includes a special interactive version of the game map to zoom in and explore. It’s a free download from the Windows Phone Store. Check out the manual and share your thoughts in the comments!

Thanks, Josh H., for the tip

Everyone loves that feeling when apps and games have updates available. We also love a great deal here and there. Today's app update roundup features a bit of both to round off our CES coverage (for Windows Phone Central anyway – the event continues). Head on past the break to see which apps and games are included in this roundup and what's new.

SongArc 2.0.2.1039

​We'll kick off today with SongArc, a highly rated and popular app out of the AppCademy program. We've covered the music game numerous times in the past, going through multiple updates and a sweet sale. Today, the game has been bumped to a latest release, packing some changes and improvements.

Here's everything that's new in 2.0.2.1039:

• Sheet trial is now one minute long
• "One more time" list increased to 50 songs
• Server connection can now be cancelled
• General performance and reliability improvements

You can grab SongArc from the Windows Phone Store for free.

MonsterUp Adventures 1.6.1.0

MonsterUp Adventures is a sweet platformer and the series itself has been available on Windows Phone for what seems like an eternity (just check out our earlier review for an idea). Today, the game has been bumped to a new release, but we're not entirely sure what's included. That said, you can pick up the game for free, so really there's nothing to lose.

Download MonsterUp Adventures from the Windows Phone Store for free (we believe this to be a limited time offer - usually $1.99).

My 500px 2.8.5

​We're always looking for new ways to enjoy photography on our Windows Phones. It has become quite the major feature of the platform since Nokia became heavily invested and involved. While we now have an official 500px app for Windows Phone, the unofficial client My 500px has just received an update.

• New tap and hold to switch from grid view to full screen with like, fave, share, save actions.
• New Landscape support
• View page updated and tap on header is back.
• Updated profile page.
• Various bug fixes.

Grab the unofficial 500px app, My 500px for Windows Phone from the store for free.

Check out our forum for more app updates.

When Where's My Water? 2 launched late last year, it was met with criticism from not only ourselves, but consumers too. This was due to the energy system implemented, which almost acted as a deterrent to play the game itself. Just like popular free online games available that make use of said system, players were forced to pick up in-app purchases to continue playing (or wait until their energy replenished). This sucked.

Luckily, Disney has been listening to consumer feedback and has released an update to the Windows Phone version of the game, removing the energy system altogether. 

Should you be an avid fan of the Where's My Water? games from Disney, you're now able to play through levels in the second instalment as many times as humanly possible. That's not all that was included in 1.1.0.5 as the development team has also added two new locations to visit: Bayou and Winter Woods.

You can download Where's My Water 2? from the Windows Phone Store, as well as the Windows Store while you're on a download spree.

Out Of Memory is a strategy oriented puzzle game for Windows Phone 8 devices that has you managing computer memory.  You are tasked with allocating computer memory to a variety of computer programs.  The goal, manage your computer memory for as long as possible.

Out Of Memory is a simply drawn up game for Windows Phone but does not lack challenge.  There are several types of programs that will impact your memory grid in different ways.  While we have plenty of puzzle games for our Windows Phone, Out Of Memory offers a unique style of gaming that has a certain amount of appeal.

When you first launch Out Of Memory, you will be taken through a series of tutorial screens on game play.  Once you have completed the tutorial you will jump into game play.  If you need a refresher, the tutorial can always be launched from up under the three-dot menu.

Out Of Memory Tutorial, Gaming and Scoring Pages

The game screen has a five by five grid that represents your computer memory.  Every few seconds a program will appear at the bottom of the screen that you will need to place on the memory grid.  The program will require a short period to run on the grid, after which it will close and free up the memory for another program to use.  The goal is to place and run as many programs as possible without running out of memory.

To place a program, just tap on the adjacent memory grids or tap/drag your finger across the grid.

To help keep things interesting you will run into a variety of programs that will affect your memory differently.  You have the standard program that stays in place while the timer runs out.  You also have an unstable program that will shift around the memory grid and a corrupt program that will expand on the memory grid.  You can box these programs in and contain their movement and growth with the stable, stand programs.

Out Of Memory has an online leaderboard for bragging rights and support for both dark/light Windows Phone themes.  The game has a bit of a casual pace and is not a bad gaming option to pass the time with.  I found that the more I played Out Of Memory, the more the game grew on me.

Out Of Memory is an ad-supported game available for Windows Phone 8.  You can get rid of the ads through a $1.29 in-app purchase.  You can find Out Of Memory here in the Windows Phone Store.

A handful of popular Windows Phone apps have received updates recently that appear to mainly deal with fixing bugs and improving performance.

First up is the addictive Empire building game from Disney Mobile, Star Wars: Tiny Death Star.  The game has you building an all-new Death Star and defeating the Rebel Alliance.  The update takes the game to version 1.0.1.7 and fixes the problem of stores not producing coins while the game is closed of minimized.

Next up is the Windows Phone messenger app WhatsApp.  WhatsApp is available for Windows Phone, Android, Blackberry and iOS devices making it a handy cross-platform communications app.  The update bumps WhatsApp to version 2.11.356 and fixes a few issues with reception of broadcast messages.

Finally, we have an update for Nokia Camera.  This update takes the Nokia Lumia camera app to version 4.5.1.5 and is a bit of a mystery as to what all it involves.  The Store description lists the update adding support for DNG files on the Lumia 1520 and 1020 but that description seems to be dated.  Our guess is that the update deals with maintenance issues or unlocks the DNG support for International Lumia devices that recently received the Nokia Black Update.  We have reached out to Nokia for clarification and should we hear different, we will pass it on.

• Star Wars: Tiny Death Star (Free): Windows Phone 8, Windows 8
• WhatsApp (Free/Annual Fee): Windows Phone 
• Nokia Camera (Free): Windows Phone 8 (Nokia Collection)

Thanks, everyone, for the tips!

Are you a fan of trial games? Rushing through levels, pulling off insane stunts, watching the environment alter and/or be destroyed around you, while attempting to speed to the end banner in the quickest time possible can be quite the experience. Trial Xtreme 3, published by DeeMedya, has raced on to the Windows Phone Store with enough fuel available for hours of bike riding.

Reportedly accumulating over 50 million downloads cross-platform, it's positive to see the game come to Microsoft's mobile platform. If you're already a fan of the Trial Xtreme series of games, you'll definitely want to check out this instalment, sporting new innovations and other features. Did we mention that there are 112 courses on offer to run through?

As lightly touched on above, players are able to battle with friends' times and scores for the race title, while carefully controlling the bike to ensure their rider doesn't fall off when performing stunts mid-air. There are hundreds of mines, water pipes and even wrecked cars to navigate past.

​

 Here are same features highlighted on the Windows Phone store listing:

• New, advanced physics engine which revolutionizes gameplay
• 32 free levels out of a total of 112 levels across 6 worlds and hundreds of new obstacles
• Play alone or head to head
• Different high score table for every level
• Customize your bike and rider
• Play with phone’s accelerometer or buttons
• High resolution graphics for both phones and tablets

The graphics and visual effects are stunning, which shouldn't be surprising considering the fact we've begun to see some real good-looking titles hit the Windows Phone Store (Asphalt 8 and Temple Run 2 to name but a few).

If you're one to customise your characters when playing through such games, you'll be pleased to learn that there are numerous options available in-game to personalise your bike and rider, should you have the dosh to do so.

Since this is a free title there are some in-app purchases available to bump up your cash flow. You can purchase packs of coins starting from 20,000 ($0.99) to the massive vault of 1,500,000 ($49.99). Also, if you'd like to check out the Xtreme level pack, you'll need to drop a further $1.99 into the pot. Not a deal breaker since the game is essentially free and you've got a bunch of levels already and cash can be earned through play.

You can download Extreme Trials 3 from the Windows Phone Store for free. Thanks, guyjkh, for the tip!

If you have been waiting for a deal on your favorite Windows Phone 8 game from Disney, today may be your lucky day.  Seven titles went on sale today for a limited time and it is tough to beat the marked down price (free).  That's right, seven game for free!  All totaled about fifteen bucks worth of savings.

The seven Windows Phone 8 games are as follows:

Monsters University:  Enjoy two games in one with Monsters University.  There is Catch Archie where you are chasing Archie the Scare Pig through campus and a Toxicity Challenge where you race against the clock and run through the sewers before time runs out.

Monsters University features three characters from the movie: Mike, Sulley and Squishy.  It is available for Windows Phone 8 devices, currently free (regularly $.99) and you can find Monsters University here in the Windows Phone Store.

Where’s My Water?:  Where’s My Water? is a challenging, physics-based puzzle game for Windows Phone 8 that includes three separate games, three story lines and over four hundred levels.

Where’s My Water? is normally priced at $.99 but you can find your free copy here in the Windows Phone Store.

Wreck-it Ralph: Wreck-it Ralph is a collection of five arcade games that are all based on the movie of the same name.  You have Fix-it Felix Jr. where you play the role of the handyman, fixing everything Ralph has smashed.  Then there is Hero’s Duty where you play the role of Sergeant Calhoun and blast away at cy-bugs level after level.

Sweet Climber is an endless climbing game feature Ralph, Turbo Time is a racing game and Flight Command is a flight combat game pitting you against the cy-bugs.

Wreck-it Ralph normally runs $.99 and is available for Windows Phone 8 devices.  You can find Wreck-it Ralph here in the Windows Phone Store.

Where’s My Mickey?: Much like Where’s My Water? , Where’s My Mickey? is a physics-based game for Windows Phone 8.  Instead of working to supply water to an alligator for his shower, you are working to supply Mickey water for various tasks (making lemonade, putting out a fire, and watering a garden).

The game has over one hundred levels plus six bonus levels featuring Goofy.  As with Where’s My Water? animations and graphics are top notch with Where’s My Mickey?  The game normally runs $.99 and is available for Windows Phone 8 devices.  You can find Where’s My Mickey? here in the Windows Phone Store.

Avengers Initiative:  Take control of either the Incredible Hulk or Captain America in this fantasy combat game.  Avengers Initiative features such villains as Abomination, The Kronan, The Skrulls and Wendigo that you have to smash and pound into the pavement.

While graphics and animations are spot on, the biggest downside to Avengers Initiative is the storage space the game takes up, about 1.6GB of storage.  Beyond that, you will need about 4GB of additional storage to install additional assets.

Avengers Initiative is normally running in the neighborhood of $4.99 and while the game is free for a limited time only, the space requirements may outweigh the savings.  Avengers Initiative is available for Windows Phone 8 and you can find it here in the Windows Phone Store.

Toy Story: Smash It! : Here is another physics-based puzzle game for Windows Phone 8 where you play the role of Buzz Lightyear who has to smash alien fortresses with bouncing balls.  The game features ninety challenging levels of play that span six episodes.

There are no complaints about the graphics and animations that represent the Toy Story movie line-up rather well.  Toy Story: Smash It! would normally cost $4.99 and is available for Windows Phone 8 devices.  The game does not feature a trial version so now is your chance to save a bundle.  You can find Toy Story: Smash It! here in the Windows Phone Store.

Where’s My Perry?: Yet another physics-based puzzle game from Disney, this go around feature Perry the Platypus from the popular cartoon show Phineas and Ferb.

Where’s My Perry? Includes over eighty puzzles that are spread out across four chapters.  The game calls on you to direct water in all its different forms (ice, steam and liquid) to solve various puzzles and free Agent P (a.k.a. Perry).

Where’s My Perry? normally runs $.99 and is available for Windows Phone 8 devices.  You can find Where’s My Perry? here in the Windows Phone Store.

Again, if you have been on the fence about picking up any of these entertaining games from Disney now is your chance to save a bit of cash.  The free offers are only available for a limited time and not knowing what "a limited time" is exactly, you may not want to wait too long before picking up these games.  

Thanks, everyone, for the tips!

Nest (www.nest.com) makes the popular ‘connected’ smart-thermostat that allows users to control the weather inside their homes remotely. It’s quickly becoming the poster child for the wired future, where all our appliances ‘talk’ to our phones. Recently, Google acquired the connected technologies company for $3.2 billion. Although much has been made of the deal, what concerns Windows Phone users most is whether or not they will ever see an official app.

In the past, we’ve seen unofficial apps come to Windows Phone, only to have them yanked through a Cease and Desist (C&D) letter from the Nest lawyers. This has made owning and developing these apps a precarious venture, though we’re happy to see another creator take the plunge.

But this situation is a bit different and more importantly, through a special partnership with Windows Phone Central, the app is free for 24-hours.

The app is called wellNEZTed, has been available since October and it’s made by Anthony Pham in his spare time (he’s also active in our forums). It’s a solid app with great reviews, offering many features that Nest owners want, including:

• Set Target Temperature(s)
• Change Mode (Cool, Heat, Heat+Cool, Off)
• Set Fan Mode
• Set Away Mode
• Supports Multiple Thermostats and Locations
• Live Tile Support

Pham is also looking to add more features in future updates, when he has a moment (he has a new member in his family).

So what makes this app less likely to be yanked by Nest from previous attempts? We spoke with Pham and he did his homework on the matter:

“I actually contacted Gary Johnson, creator of wpnest (i.e. the open source app you mentioned), prior to releasing my app; he was kind enough to share the C&D info he received with me. I spent a few additional weeks reworking my UI as to not replicate/infringe on any of the intellectual property trademarks mentioned in the C&D.  So my app doesn't have that "nest feel"per se (the word nest can't be used, nor the tick scheme, leafs for energy saving, or round circle display, etc), but I believe the rework effort is why I have yet to receive a C&D in the past 3 months it has been published.”

Smart move. So while wellNEZTed may have an awkward name and it doesn’t look as familiar as a Nest app might on Windows Phone, that’s all done by design to avoid the Nest lawyers. It has been available for quite a few months, which lends credence to the idea that this will get a pass from a legal standpoint.

wellNEZTed usually runs for a modest 99 cents, but to celebrate a recent update and its surprising longevity, Pham is dropping the price to free for the next 24 hours in conjunction with our announcement. That means if you download it now, you will have a perpetual free license on the app, regardless if you switch devices or even uninstall it.

If you have a Nest thermostat or are thinking about getting one, you may want to grab this app today. Head here to the Store to pick it or scan the QR code below. Windows Phone 8 only.

Need support? Head into our forums where you can interact with the developer right here! 

Update: Sorry if you posted a comment and it was lost. Database issue caused that, so please feel free to re-comment.

Indie and mobile games go through various genres of the moment over time, sort of like how console and big-budget PC games have been stuck on First-Person Shooters for the last ten years or so. For the longest time, it seemed like every new small-scale release that came along was a tower defense game. Hardly anybody complained, due to the inherent joy of defending towers.

The new genre of the moment on mobile is definitely the endless running game. A slew of endless runners have recently flooded Windows Phone 8, including such high profile releases as Subway Surfers and Despicable Me: Minion Rush. Only one endless runner with 3D graphics sports Xbox Live features, though: Temple Run 2 from Imangi Studios (makers of Harbor Master). Does the only non-spin-off sequel to Temple Run stand tall above its competitors? Read on to find out.

Danger up high

The original Temple Run took place in a fictional South American-esque temple setting in which the player’s heroic adventurer desperately tried to outrun a horde of demonic monkeys. The sequel moves things to a more fanciful (and interesting) lost city above the clouds. This time, the adventurer must evade a single gigantic gorilla. And because the endless running genre demands it, the hero will always fail sooner or later.

Temple Run 2’s controls take very little time to learn. Dragging left and right steers your character around the track, allowing him or her to pick up coins and avoid hazards. Hard swipes left or right will safely get you through ninety degree turns.

Swipe down to slide under obstacles, or swipe up to jump over pits and the like. Not everything will kill you in this game, but slowing down proves almost as dangerous. That King Kong-wannabe is never too far behind.

Mine carts and waterslides, oh my

The change in environment has thrown some new wrinkles into Temple Run 2’s gameplay. Each run starts out with a zip-line that players must cling to in order to slide across a massive gap. Weaving left or right to grab up coins is always a fun diversion.

Other times, you’ll run into a gigantic waterslide. Splashing through one of these sections feels quite similar to the halfpipe bonus stages from the Sonic the hedgehog series, especially since you’re grabbing coins much of the time. You’ll also have to duck under obstacles and choose a direction at sudden forks in the slide, keeping you on your toes.

Mine cart areas fit perfectly with the series’ Indiana Jones-inspired theme. Cart riders will need to avoid fire and choose wisely at intersections as well. Take the wrong path and you’ll smack into a wall, ending your run. Thin parts of the track require the rider to learn in a safe direction - otherwise he or she will plummet into the abyss below.

Powers and power-ups

Even though the odds are stacked against players in this or any endless runner, a few items and abilities can stave off defeat at least temporarily. As you progress through a run, your special move meter will eventually fill up. Once it fills, double tap the screen to activate it and become invincible for a short time. You’ll run over gaps, make perfect turns, and everything. The game doesn’t actually teach us how to activate the special move, unless I missed it somewhere.

Players can also grab floating power-ups every now and again. Grab a coin magnet and unleash your special ability to turn into a coin-stealing machine. Strangely, you can’t just buy and unlock all of Temple Run 2’s power-ups like in other running games. Instead, several items can only be unlocked by purchasing characters. The game barely has any power-ups to begin with, and the character-based unlocks only make it worse.

Characters

Temple Run 2 offers several characters for players to purchase. Most cost coins, the game’s soft currency, but not all.

• Guy Dangerous: Generic explorer guy
• Scarlett Fox: A generic female explorer created for this sequel. Her voice samples are the worst I’ve heard in recent memory.
• Barry Bones: A black police officer
• Karma Lee: An Asian lady who doesn’t look very Asian an dresses really strangely
• Francisco Montoya: A Spanish conquistador
• Zack Wonder: A generic American football player
• Montana Smith: Returning character who resembles Indiana Jones
• Santa Claus: The Miracle from 34th Street costs 60 gems (approximately $7 worth of hard currency)
• Usain Bolt: A real-life Jamaican track star. He costs 99 cents in-game - cheap compared to Santa.

As with the first game, players can spend coins to upgrade their characters’ abilities. Upgrades include boosting coin value, increasing coin magnet duration, increasing score multiplier, and more. These ability upgrades are shared across all characters.

Players can opt to buy a permanent coin doubler for $4.99. Even then, you’ll need to play for quite a while (probably 10+ hours) before you can afford all of the upgrades and characters.

Missions and Leveling

The leveling system here works much like Jetpack Joyride’s. At any given time, you have three side missions to work on. Complete enough of them and you’ll level up. On top of those, the game also presents daily and weekly challenges to keep players coming back. Knock out enough of those and you’ll earn tons of coins or gems.

The missions and leveling structure are welcome, but they feel rudimentary compared to other games. Jetpack Joyride’s missions are much more diverse and quick to complete. The carrot at the end of the stick here is less appetizing and comes on an overly long string.

Pretty as you want

Left: Medium Detail. Right: High Detail

Unlike most Windows Phone games, Temple Run 2 offers graphical settings that allow users to tailor performance to their devices. On medium, the game runs perfectly smoothly on the Lumia 920. The high settings increase the character model’s detail and adds shadows, but the frame rate drops on the 920. I’m sure the more powerful Lumia 1520 could handle High without breaking a sweat, so it’s cool that the game can take advantage of it.

Run from the bugs

Temple Run 2 arrives on Windows Phone 8 with all of the same content as the iOS and Android versions, even the stuff those platforms received in a December update. Xbox games usually lag behind other platforms when they first arrive (if not forever), so it’s great to see this game keeping pace with sister versions.

That said, the Windows Phone game suffers from two nasty bugs. The first (which affects everybody) causes the game to falsely register presses of the Share button. So whenever you finish a run or move through various menus, you’ll end up at the Windows Phone Rate and Review screen. A minor relatively annoyance, but one that inspires many of us to leave negative reviews.

The far more serious bug only affects some users. These players will find the game fails to save their progress, basically making it impossible to amass coins or level up very much. For those people, Temple Run 2 won’t be much fun to play.

Finally, the friends leaderboards don't work too well. Some users have noticed they fail to update at all. My problem is the names and scores appear in a completely random order. Wouldn't it make more sense to list users by score or alphabetically?

Achievements

Nearly all of Temple Run 2’s Achievements involve completing side missions, nicely integrating them into the game’s existing structure. The odd thing is you can’t get a mission’s Achievement until that mission comes up, even if you complete the exact requirements beforehand. Still, it should only take around six hours to progress far enough to knock out all of the Achievements.

Overall Impression

It took almost a year for Temple Run 2 to make its way to Windows Phone 8. Even after all that time (and despite the graphical detail options), it still requires handsets with at least 1 GB of RAM. The memory limitation comes from Unity, the engine that makes Temple Run 2 tick. Unity’s Windows Phone support still lags behind other platforms, which also helps explain in part why the game took so long to arrive at all.

After all that time, Temple Run 2 has arguably been surpassed by other endless runners like Subway Surfers and especially Jetpack Joyride. Imangi would do well to staff up a little bit in order to compete with the scope that larger studios bring to their genre entries.

Still, Temple Run 2 is plenty of fun in short doses and should keep players interested at least until the last Achievement pops. The In-App Purchase structure is fair as well, so players won’t feel too pressured to spend. You can’t truly win at this game, but you’ll probably enjoy trying.

• Temple Run 2 – Windows Phone 8 (minimum 1 GB of RAM required) – MB – Free – Store Link

In mid-2013, Nokia and EA Sports released the highly anticipated exclusive – FIFA 13. It was a delight for footy fans since the only soccer title available at the time was Gameloft’s Real Soccer/Real Football 2013, and its previous edition.

The impressive and fully featured game has now shed the exclusive tag and available broadly for all Windows Phone 8 devices.

FIFA 13 is an Xbox game, and is available for Windows Phone 8 devices with 1 GB of RAM. At 951 MB, it’s a heavy one, but the cinematic presentation and visuals make it an immersive, almost console-like experience.

The game costs $4.99, but there’s a free trial available as well. Download it from the Windows Phone Store here. I know it is 2014 now, and most comments here would be clamoring for FIFA 14, but if you haven’t tried this game yet, you might want to check out our complete review of FIFA 13.

For gamers who love buying gadgets and technology, console launches represent a fun time to stock up on not only a new system but also a host of accessories for that system. If you care about local multiplayer, you’re definitely going to need an extra controller or three. Problem is: the controllers available at launch are always the same color. By the time cool colors come along, many of us already own all the controllers we need.

Luckily Xbox One owners don’t have to wait too terribly long for a different controller style to arrive. When Respawn and Electronic Arts' highly anticipated Titanfall launches on March 11 in North America and March 13 in Europe, a special limited edition controller will pop up right along with it. It certainly looks different from the standard black model! Update: Amazon preorder link after the break!

The Titanfall controller shares the same hardware as a normal controller, but the paint job is far more eye-catching. The front panel appears to be made of white plastic, though military-themed orange, black, and gray patterns are splashed all over it. The top and back of the controller consist of black plastic, like a regular controller.

This controller’s design is meant to evoke the universe of Titanfall, according to Joel Emslie, Lead Artist at Respawn Entertainment:

"In a collaborative effort with the Xbox design team and the Respawn art department, our goal was to create a controller that feels as if it is a piece of military spec hardware transported from the universe of Titanfall and into players hands."

Online commenters have also compared the controller design to the visual styles found in Remember Me from Capcom and Sony’s classic Wipeout series. Personally, I find the design too busy and would prefer they had gone with entirely white plastic over this combination of black-and-white. But I really want a differently colored controller, so I’ll be buying it!

The Titanfall Limited Edition Controller for Xbox One will arrive on March 11 in North America and March 13 in Europe. The North American prices is $64.99, five dollars more than a regular controller. Game sold separately. Also, don't forget about the Collector's Edition of the game.

Update

You can now preorder the Titanfall Limited Edition controller from Amazon for $64.99. Amazon Store Link

Since we didn’t get a new Xbox game for Windows Phone this week (though I finally worked through Temple Run 2), the Xbox Red Stripe Deal must once again sustain Achievement-minded Windows Phone gamers. This week’s deal title Mush from Angry Mango has been on sale thrice before, most recently in April of last year. But Mush is still a charming exclusive that somehow never escaped to iOS like most tend to do. Might as well pick it up for a buck if you haven’t already.

The non-Xbox Red Stripe Deals offer some fine game and app discounts as well. Artifex Mundi’s beautiful hidden-object adventure game Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart gets knocked down to $1.49, while graphically intense Skateboard Party 2 from Ratrod Studio and Kristanix Studio’s casual Fantastic Farm come in at 99 cents each. Meanwhile, non-game MusicStation from Raphaël Ruis is on sale for $2.99 and RaveIT Pro for 99 cents.

Descriptions and Store Links after the break!

Mush (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $2.99 Sale price: $.99 Download size: 24 MB Store Link

Mush is a bright and original platformer that plays a bit differently from the norm. The titular character gains unique abilities based on his emotions. Draw a smile and becomes so elated that he floats; make him frown and he sinks way down low. By switching between the four emotions as necessary, you’ll help Mush solve puzzles and win a game of hide-and-seek with his friends.

As the description implies, Mush is both innocent and great for kids. But adults will still enjoy the beautiful storybook art style. The characters are all colorful, creative, and endearing. Everything has a flat, paper-textured look. And yet the backgrounds have plenty of depth thanks to excellent use of parallax scrolling. Basically, Mush makes your eyes feel like they’re eating a banana split.

Achievement hunters will want to grab Mush as well, because this is one easy game. You can’t die or lose, just like ilomilo. The only real challenge comes from grabbing all of the collectibles. Most are out in the open, but you’ll probably have to hunt for a few. Check out our full review for more details!

Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart (Windows Phone 8)

Regular price: $2.99 Sale price: $1.49 Download size: 249 MB Store Link

Since last year, Polish developer Artifex Mundi has released a smorgasbord of hidden-object puzzle adventure (HOPA) titles for Windows Phone and Windows 8. One of the most popular is The Cursed Heart, the first game in the Nightmares from the Deep series.

Gamers take on the role of a museum curator whose daughter is kidnapped by a mysteriously resurrected pirate from yore. You’ll have to stow away on his ghostly pirate ship, explore an ancient pirate lair, and rescue the girl before she meets her end in a dark ceremony. Find out more in our full review.

The HOPA genre mixes a variety of game styles. You’ll navigate between gorgeously-drawn scene after scene, looking for items and solving numerous puzzles. Interspersed throughout the adventure are numerous hidden object scenes in which players must find a list of scattered items. If hidden objects aren’t your thing, Cursed Heart also offers the option of completing mahjong solitaire puzzles in their stead.

Skateboard Party 2 (Windows Phone 8)

Regular price: $1.99 Sale price: $.99 Download size: 343 MB Store Link

This 3D skating game comes from the makers of the Drift Mania series. Like those games, it supports MOGA controllers!

Still, the game does offer a number of fine features for skating enthusiasts:

• Online multiplayer mode to play against your friends or other skaters online.
• New fully customizable control system. You can adjust everything!
• Learn over 40 unique tricks and create hundreds of combinations.
• Massive skateboard locations to ride including a trailer park, army base, shopping mall, ski resort, campus, funfair beach and a big open city.
• Customize your skater or board with tons of exclusive content including outfits, boards, trucks and wheels from licensed brands.
• Play often to gain experience and upgrade your skater’s attributes.
• Share your results with your friends on Facebook or Twitter.
• Extended Soundtrack featuring songs from Voice of Addiction, Sink Alaska, Beta, Hitplay!, Moovalya, We Outspoken and Melodic in Fusion.
• Ability to purchase experience points using in-app purchases.

Fantastic Farm (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $1.99 Sale price: $.99 Download size: 59 MB Store Link

Want a time management/simulation game that’s kind of like the Farm Frenzy series? Well here you go! This one has a bit of a story, some questionable art, and even magic spells for some reason.

Features:

• Over 150 levels across five game modes
• Earn trophies for achievements
• 6 different plants, 4 animals and 3 machines
• Enchant items with your magic cauldron

MusicStation (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $5.99 Sale price: $2.99 Download size: 6 MB Store Link

If you’re an actual musician or student of music, perhaps this app will strike a chord with you. MusicStation provides a library of 63 scales and 59 chords for players to browse and reference. All of these scales and chords can then be played through the app’s piano or guitar.

Also features:

• A Circle of Fifths
• a chromatic tuner
• a metronome with sound, led and including tap, beat per measure and subdivision functions

RaveIT Pro (Windows Phone 7 and 8)

Regular price: $1.99 Sale price: $.99 Download size: 5 MB Store Link

Want to create your own electronic music and save it as a ringtone? Sure you do, Mr. Creative. This one also comes in a free version with reduced features, so give that one a look if you prefer to try before you buy.

Features:

• Save as ringtone
• Record your own samples
• Unlimited saves to SkyDrive
• Change pitch (32 levels)
• From 16 to 128 tabs
• Save/load tracks
• Up to 10 Channels
• 2 UI modes
• Noise reduction filtering
• 91 sample
• Shake your phone to clear the tabs
• 40 - 250 BPM

It’s not uncommon for Windows Phone 8 games to require 1 GB of RAM at launch, only to later be updated to run on devices with 512 MB of RAM. This happens because optimizing a game to work with less RAM takes extra time. Games don’t have the phone’s full bank of RAM to work with. On a 512 MB device, they can only access 150 MB. Sometimes a game can be crammed into that space, sometimes not.

Gameloft’s Dungeon Hunter 4 launched without 512 MB RAM support back in December. Yesterday’s update added that support, allowing the game to run on low-memory phones like the Nokia Lumia 520. The update also brought another benefit we didn’t expect: MOGA controller support! It even turns out that the most recent Asphalt 7 (a game that already worked with 512 MB phones) update added MOGA support as well. Exclusive screenshots, hands-on video, and impressions after the break.

Dungeon Hunter 4

Like nearly all of Gameloft’s games, Dungeon Hunter 4 uses a virtual analog stick and buttons for its touch screen controls. The publisher has made a name for itself by bringing console-style experiences to mobile, after all. But some gamers crave a physical stick and buttons, hence the MOGA controller support.

The MOGA experience in Dungeon Hunter 4 closely resembles that of playing the Windows 8 version with an Xbox 360 controller (and probably Dungeon Hunter: Alliance for Playstation 3 and Vita too). Players can move their warrior of choice with either the left analog stick or d-pad. Pressing the right analog stick in any direction will attack in that direction, not unlike a twin-stick shooter.

The A, B, and Y buttons perform the same functions as the three virtual buttons on the right side of the screen. Players can assign various skills and abilities to those buttons including attacks and dodge maneuvers. The L1 button (left bumper) uses healing potions, whereas the R1 (right bumper) button performs a special move.

Both the Select and Start buttons go to the menu, normally accessed by pressing the phone’s Back button or tapping the player’s character portrait. From here, the cursor controls are mostly natural. The left and right triggers (L2 and R2) move through the top-most options/pages, while the d-pad or analog stick select individual choices within those pages.          

Things get slightly more confusing on the World Map, where players can select levels to play as well as exit the game. On the world map, the Left and Right triggers still scroll through the top-most options. Moving the left stick or d-pad will select options from the left and right side of the map screen, such as Multiplayer, Challenges, Social, and Gameloft Live. To actually select levels, you’ll need to use the right analog stick.

Playing Dungeon Hunter 4 with a controller feels very much like the console version of Diablo III. You can’t hotkey quite as many attacks and abilities, but the combat is just as fast and fluid as you’d want from an action-RPG. I’m a sucker for twin-stick controls.

It’s a shame that the Windows Phone and Windows 8 versions of Dungeon Hunter 4 apparently don’t share save data, but at least you can play on the go without a touch screen and then plug in to the MOGA controller when you’re at home for an even better experience. And thanks to the version 1.01 update, all Windows Phone 8 users can now get in on the fun.

• Dungeon Hunter 4– Windows Phone 8 – 958 MB – Free – Store Link
• Dungeon Hunter 4– Windows 8 and RT – 1,066 MB – Free – Store Link

Asphalt 7: Heat

Asphalt 8 (which launched in November) supported MOGA from the get-go, as I understand it. Its predecessor Asphalt 7 actually picked up controller support later that same month in the version 1.1 update. Gameloft didn’t advertise that support, and I only recently picked up a MOGA Pro Controller, otherwise we’d have noticed sooner.

On top of the new control option, the version 1.1 update brings a couple more new features. On the main menu, you’ll find two new options: Special Events and Lottery. Special Events are basically themed races for players to participate in. Not bad if you’re looking for a break from Career, though I can’t say whether Gameloft actually updates the Special Events with any regularity.

The Lottery is just what you’d expect: a daily lottery to keep players coming back to the game. This Lottery actually has some cool visual flair, as it involves a car driving around a circle full of prizes. Players can swipe left or right to determine which way the car spins. My first spin got me 50,000 game dollars. Not that much, but it would probably help a lot when you’re just starting out.

Speaking of which, I am unfortunately just starting out again. The update actually wiped out my save file. Asphalt 7 supports cloud saves (and even sharing progress between the Windows Phone and Windows 8 versions). But the phone game won’t find my Windows 8 save; it just pulls up the fresh save that replaced my original, nearly complete save.

And now for the controls. Surprisingly, Asphalt 7’s menus actually work better with the MOGA controller than the Windows 8 version did with an Xbox controller. On Windows 8, the controller emulates a mouse for some reason during menus. On Windows Phone, the d-pad and analog stick simply jump between menu selections as you’d expect. Much better.

The racing controls also work great, for the most part. Steering with either the d-pad or left analog stick feels quite natural.

Curiously, the left and right triggers do not controls acceleration and braking as they do on Windows 8. Instead, players can either use the A button or Up on the right analog stick to accelerate.  X, L1, and down on the right stick handle braking. B switches camera angles, R1 activates Nitro, and both Start and Y pause the game.

Races get pretty hard later in Asphalt 7’s career, so the extra precision afforded by the MOGA controller will come in handy. I won’t be playing through Career another time, but anybody with a MOGA who still has a save file or has yet to start the game will want to take this game for a drive.

• Asphalt 7– Windows Phone 8 – 911 MB – Store Link
• Asphalt 7– Windows 8 and RT – 0.99 GB - $1.99 – Store Link

More MOGA from Gameloft?

N.O.V.A. 3

Now that three Gameloft titles support MOGA controllers on Windows Phone 8, the natural question is whether Gameloft will go back and add support to previous releases. Modern Combat 4, N.O.V.A. 3, Six-Guns, Amazing Spider-Man, Dark Knight Rises, and (to a lesser extent) Order & Chaos Online all practically beg for controller.

Windows Phone Central asked the publisher about the possibility of future support. According to a Gameloft representative, the addition of MOGA controls in Asphalt 7, Asphalt 8, and Dungeon Hunter 4 was not completely intentional. The Android versions of those games support MOGA, and somehow that code made its way into the Windows Phone 8 versions as well.

That’s a curious explanation, considering that the Android versions of Asphalt 7 and Dungeon Hunter 4 worked with MOGA long before the games were even ported to Windows Phone. Why would the controller start working after an update instead of when the games launched? That’s a mystery… Unless reader reports that neither game initially worked with MOGA were erroneous. I couldn’t get Dungeon Hunter 4 to recognize the controller a few days ago, but I’m still kind of new to the accessory.

The best case scenario would be for Gameloft to start wearing MOGA support in its Windows Phone 8 games loud and proud. MOGA controllers may be a niche accessory, but anybody who invests in one is going to want more games to play. Gameloft only wins by adding MOGA support to these games’ store descriptions.

MOGA updates for the other games I mentioned are probably a pipe dream, but everyone should take to Twitter and let Gameloft know we want the feature anyway.

Windows Phone Central Gaming Roundup: Zombie Games

Just like the Zombies themselves, the Zombie gaming genre doesn't seem to want to die off.  We have a huge collection of Zombie oriented games available in the Windows Phone Store and many are rather successful gaming titles.  Titles such as Plants vs. Zombies, Dredd vs. Zombies and Zombies Can’t Jump are but a few of the many offerings in the Windows Phone Store.

This week’s Windows Phone Central Roundup focuses on the Zombie genre of games with four of the top rated titles.  Each game involves the undead, is rated at four-stars or higher and while not necessarily new to the Windows Phone Store they are new to the roundup.  They all are entertaining options for your Windows Phone gaming library and are fun ways to pass the time with.

Shelter (trial/$.99)

Shelter caught our eye the other day when it was featured in the Windows Phone Red Stripe Deals.  It is not your typical Zombie game and has you battling the undead through a card game as opposed to running around the screen shooting them up.  Graphics are outstanding, game play challenging, and Shelter has a bit of an addictive quality.

Shelter's Main Menus

The storyline has you working your way through the city, battling zombies, in an effort to reach your girlfriend.  The main menu for Shelter will launch the story mode, replay the game tutorial and access the game’s settings (music/sound effects/etc.).

When you first jump into the story line, Shelter will walk you through an extensive tutorial on game play.  In a nutshell, you work your way through a city map and defeat the zombies.  Along the way your card deck grows and the challenges increase.  Combat is accomplished in card game fashion. 

Personally, card battles can be a little on the boring side but Shelter does a good job of making it interesting.  You do have a way to skip through the Zombie’s turn with a fast-forward arrow on the game screen or through the game’s settings.

Shelter Game Screens

Shelter has over one hundred game cards and combat is more strategy oriented than action packed.  There is more than one-way to skin a cat with Shelter so no one strategy is necessarily correct for victory.  Overall, Shelter is a surprisingly entertaining Zombie game for your Windows Phone that you can pick up and play for a short bit while being strong enough for longer gaming sessions.

There is a free trial version available for Shelter with the full version running $.99.  Shelter is available for Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices and you can find it here in the Windows Phone Store.

CoM Zombies (free)

CoM Zombies is short for Call of Mini Zombies and has you defending your town from the walking dead.  When you first launch CoM Zombies, the game takes you through a helpful tutorial that covers your gaming controls and general gaming objectives.

CoM Zombies Gaming Screen

You control movement and your weapons by two virtual joysticks that sit, respectively, in the left and right bottom corners of the screen.  You move your character’s orientation by sliding your finger across the screen.  It isn’t the easiest control layout for movement and I found the best strategy to avoid having your brains eaten is to keep your character moving.  Run away from the zombies, turn and open fire.  The bad thing about this tactic is that often zombies will pop-up from the ground behind you and attack.  CoM Zombies will definitely keep you on your toes and it will take a little time to get used to the controls.

Your character's vital statistics are spread across the top of the gaming screen with health boost sitting just above the weapons control.  Your current weapon of choice is highlighted in the upper right corner.  When you feel the need to switch weapons, just tap on the icon to rotate through your arsenal.

CoM Zombies Map

The game is spread out across a map of your city with various areas that you have to visit and wipe out the zombies.  CoM Zombies also has a spot on the map marked Survival, which is another gaming mode that calls on you to survive as many zombie attack waves as possible.

As you take out the zombies, you earn cash, cash that can be used in the game’s store to upgrade existing weapons or buy bigger and better weapons. 

CoM Zombies Store

Graphics are decent and there are plenty of zombie types to keep gaming interesting but I think the main difficulty with CoM Zombies is the controls.  Moving around and shooting up the zombies is not impossible, it just takes a while to get used to swiping the screen to change the orientation and using the joystick to move about.

Still, CoM Zombies isn’t a bad game to choose when you need help passing the time.  CoM Zombies is a free game, available for Windows Phone 8 devices that you can find here in the Windows Phone Store.

Final Fight Z (free)

If you are looking for a minimalistic approach to fighting off zombies, Final Fight Z might be a perfect fit.

The main menu for Final Fight Z has options to jump into game play, view your gaming achievements, view the gaming leaderboards, access the game’s options, and exit Final Fight Z altogether.

Final Fight Z Tutorial

Final Fight Z minimalism is illustrated best with the game screen.  Your character is represented by a brown (could be tan) dot on the screen.  The zombies are represented by all the other colored dots.  Scattered about the gaming screen are lettered blocks that represent bonus items (health, laser gun, shotgun, etc.).

Movement controls are similar to CoM Zombies in that you have your directional and weapons joysticks in the bottom corners of the screen.  You can go into the settings and opt to have the joysticks relative to the respective halves of the screen (not anchored in the corners).

Final Fight Z Game Screen

Game play with Final Fight Z has your scurrying around the screen, shooting up the zombie dots.  One hit by a zombie (making contact with them) and you lose a life.  Lose three lives and the game ends.

Final Fight Z plays more like a zombie invasion on the molecular level and your character is the white blood cell, blasting all the infectious cells.  It is an entertaining game, just minimal.  Final Fight Z is an exclusive to Windows Phone and might be a good choice of games for those times when you only have a few minutes to kill.

Final Fight Z is a free game and available for Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices.  You can find your copy of Final Fight Z here in the Windows Phone Store.

Zombie DOOM (free)

Zombie DOOM is modeled after the classic video games DOOM and Wolfenstein 3D, just with a zombie theme.  The pixelated graphics, animations and the 3D mazes that you have to navigate through are all reminiscent of the classic duo of games.

The story line has a group of aliens invading earth, capturing humans and turning them into zombies.  Your mission is to search the maze of hallways and rooms to destroy the zombies and aliens while rescuing the human captives. 

Zombie DOOM Intro

Controls for Zombie DOOM have movement (forward, backward, left, right) controlled by a touching the left side of the screen.  Your orientation is controlled by touch from the right side of the screen.  A fire button is in the upper right corner of the screen.  It takes a little time to get used to the movement controls but not too long.

Game play is spread out across six episodes with five levels of difficulty ranging from easy to impossible.  As you work your way through each episode you can earn coins that can be used to buy ammo and weapons that will help you survive the zombie onslaught.

Zombie DOOM Tutorial

The only downside to Zombie DOOM is that a large ad banner runs across the top of the screen.  You can use cash earned in the game to remove the ads.  If you do not want to wait until you earn the $45 (game cash) through game play, in-app purchases for game cash are available (removing the ads will cost you $.99).

If you are a fan of the old DOOM-styled games, you’ll want to give Zombie DOOM a try.  It is another entertaining option to consider for those occasions when you have a little time to waste.

Zombie DOOM Game Screen

Zombie DOOM is a free, ad-supported game that is available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices.  You can find your copy of Zombie DOOM here in the Windows Phone Store.

Standouts?

While each of the four games in this week’s roundup receives high marks in the Windows Phone Store, I would have to tap Shelter as the best in the bunch.

It lacks the faster game pace as the other gaming titles have but the graphics are top notch and game play calls for more strategy than muscle.  Shelter will remember where you left off in the game so it is well suited for shorter gaming sessions or when you have a little more time to devote to the game.

Beyond Shelter, Final Fight Z grabs your attention due to the uniqueness of the game.  Graphics are very under whelming but game play is intense, fast paced and challenging.  You just need to use your imagination to picture the colored dots as rotting corpses who are wanting to eat your brain.

I would have to call it a push between Zombie DOOM and CoM Zombies.  I like the control design better with Zombie DOOM with the presence of the fire button but the graphics on CoM Zombie stand out more.  Zombie DOOM does have the nostalgia factor but the game just doesn’t seem to rise to the level of the original games it is modeled after.

All are worth trying and who knows, you may find that Windows Phone zombie game you have been missing.  If we have missed your favorite Windows Phone zombie game, feel free to speak up in the comments below.

The popular puzzle game Glean has gone on sale on the Windows Phone Store. Not only is this a sale, but you're able to pick up the title for absolutely nothing. If you're not familiar with the name, the goal of the Glean is for players to draw a path with their finger from a provided starting point, collecting all the small and large objects without crossing paths.

It may sound like a simple concept, but it can prove challenging. Hop past the break for more details and download links.

In total, there are 160 levels spanning 8 worlds. It's a super addictive game and easy to get the hang of thanks to an animated tutorial. The graphics are simple but effective and the overall presentation is pleasing to the eye. We've wasted hours wrapped up in completing each level.

There's already a free version of Glean, alongside this premium upgrade, but players are greeted by advertisements. It's good to see the developer offer the title for free to get more consumers on-board. You can download Glean from the Windows Phone Store for free (usually $1.29).

This offer will end in 72 hours (UK and US only), after which the price will be reinstated and you'll have the option to purchase the full game or enjoy the free version.

The other day we mentioned the release of Hangman Pro for Windows 8.  It is an entertaining and challenging game, well suited for tablets, and is also available for our smaller screens of our Windows Phones.

Hangman Pro for Windows Phone is patterned very similar to the Windows 8 version with a respectable list of word categories, one or two player game modes, and global leaderboards.  While Trine’s Hangman is a sentimental favorite, Hangman Pro is not a bad choice if you are in the market for a challenging word game for your Windows Phone.

The main menu for Hangman Pro presents you with options to view the online leaderboard/gaming stats, check out the help section or jump into game play.  Your gaming options include choosing between one or two player games, setting your player name (for the online leaderboard) and choosing your word category.  Word categories include:

• Easy
• Hard
• Geography
• Food
• Animals
• Phrases
• SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test)
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
• GRE (Graduate Records Examinations)
• Mystery

The first few categories are available from the get go with Hangman Pro and to unlock the bottom four categories you will need to rate the game in the Windows Phone Store.

Hangman Pro Gaming Menu and Single Player Game

Game play is your typical game of hangman.  Your letters are listed at the bottom of the chalkboard, your hangman drawing and score displayed at the top of the chalkboard and the dashes representing each letter of the word in the center.  Just tap on a letter and it will be either placed in the appropriate dash or a part of your hangman will be drawn.  You only get seven wrong guesses before your hangman is complete and the game ends.  Should you correctly solve the word puzzle, another puzzle from the word category will be generated.  Your score is based on the number of correct letters chosen and bonus points once the puzzle is solved.  The score is also cumulative from your consecutive solved puzzles.  The single player game continues until you fail to solve a puzzle.

Hangman Pro Two-Player Game

Game play with the two-player mode follows the same rules but each player creates the word puzzle.  You can set the number of rounds for the two-player mode (1-10) and at the beginning of each turn, a player will create the word puzzle for the other player to solve.

Graphics are nice, single player games are challenging, and I really like the two-player game.  The two-player mode is an easy teaching game for those with children, as well as a fun way to match wits with friends.  Overall, Hangman Pro is an attractive gaming option for your Windows Phone.

Hangman Pro is a free, ad-supported game that is available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices.  You can pick up your copy here in the Windows Phone Store and the Windows 8 version can be found here in the Windows Store.