Tonight marks an extremely important night for both the Microsoft gaming community and the Redmond based company itself. The March 11 launch of Titanfall by Respawn Entertainment marks the biggest launch to hit the Xbox One along with other platforms including Xbox 360 and Windows PC. Though the Xbox 360 version isn't due out until March 25. 

Microsoft is ready for the event and is going all out with the launch by throwing midnight parties at their various retail stores, but are you prepared for Titanfall?

What is Titanfall?

It is hard to imagine anyone not being aware of what Titanfall is, especially if you are a reader of WPCentral, but because we are such nice folk, we will give you a brief rundown anyway!

Titanfall is an upcoming video game for Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Windows PC. The Xbox One and PC version was developed by Respawn Entertainment, while Bluepoint Games will develop the Xbox 360 version. All versions of Titanfall are being published by Electronic Arts.

The Science Fiction style first person shooter is promising to change the way you jump into the action of shooter games with its innovative gameplay, new game mechanics, and futurist weaponry. We know that many of you have heard these promises in games before (notably the Call of Duty series every time one of their games is released), but after some extensive hands on time with the beta – I personally find the above statements to be more than true.

Within Titanfall, all players take the role of Titan pilots; you will find yourself jumping and running upon walls, shoot up enemy Titans to take them down, and customizing your weaponry to take down other pilots exactly how you want to.

You can stick to assault class and runs in with guns blazing or you can check out the revolutionary assassin class and wield the high-tech Smart Pistol. The Smart Pistol is a one handed weapon that can lock onto enemy targets, but it can take a few seconds, so stealth is necessary if you choose to jump onto the battlefield with this item and trust us – “auto aiming” is not as easy as it sounds.

The game itself won over sixty different awards at the E3 2013 reveal event and the game has been quoted by IGN as “Microsoft’s killer app.”

Gameplay is not the only impressive aspect of the upcoming game, graphics are equally impressive and are helped on the backend by Microsoft cloud computing, which handles computational activity, so the home console can focus on the visuals

Why is Titanfall important?

Microsoft’s sales of the Xbox One are nothing to laugh at, but they are not in the range of what Microsoft would ideally like to see five months after launching their new console. Titanfall is posed as one of the console’s most important launches and as a possible way to ensure that those who are still on the fence between Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One, pick the latter option.

Microsoft has even released a special Xbox One Titanfall bundle in time for the launch. Unfortunately, the console will not include a Titanfall decked out console or controller, but it will include a free copy of Titanfall and a one-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold. If you already have an Xbox One, Microsoft is trying to push the game a bit closer to you by offering a free $10 Xbox Gift Card with your Titanfall preorder at the Microsoft Store.

Overall, Microsoft has invested a large collection of their money into Titanfall’s development and advertising, so the company is looking for a big win and an even bigger revenue return. Titanfall will not just mark a win (or loss) for Respawn Entertainment and Microsoft, it will mark and shape the way the games are developed for eighth generation console gaming.

How can I prepare for Titanfall?

Whether you want to leave your house and celebrate or you would prefer to enjoy the action from a comfortable seat in your house – Microsoft has both options covered.

Those who are looking to adventure out can join one of the many Titanfall Midnight Launch Parties at various Microsoft Stores. Locations hosting parties include San Juan, Huntington Station, Freehold, Troy, San Antonio, Overland Park, Houston, Lone Tree, Bellevue, Costa Mesa, Scottsdale, Seattle, and Honolulu.

The parties will begin at 9:00 pm your local time and will run until 1:00 am. You will be able to enjoy free food and drinks, while playing Titanfall before it is released. Microsoft will be giving away over $4,000 USD in prizes at each store and the first twenty-five people in line will get an Xbox Live One Year Gold Membership to take home. For more information, you can check out the Microsoft Store Facebook page.

If you prefer to enjoy the launch from that comfortable seat instead, you can do so on Twitch TV. At 11:00 pm Eastern / 8:00 pm Pacific, the developers will walk you through all of the Titanfall maps and answer fan questions live.

A list of notable guests will be attending including Respawn Entertainment’s Vince Zampella, Abbie Heppe, and Joel Emslie, Microsoft’s Major Nelson, Spike TV’s Geoff Keighley, and Twitch’s John Carnage.

The Xbox staff also mentions, “There will be prizes”. To jump into the action, head over to www.Twitch.TV/Xbox.

What Titanfall gear can I grab?

If you are a major fan of the Titanfall release, it is worth noting that a limited edition Xbox one Titanfall controller is available for purchase. The completely redesigned exterior features a futuristic looking white control deck with black and orange accents.

The controller’s exterior design is inspired by the C-101 carbine that IMC Titan pilots use within the game. Microsoft quotes the controller as a “piece of gaming history” and as a controller that “looks and feels like an artifact from the world of Titanfall. If you are interested in picking up the controller it may be a bit difficult to find as it is out of stock at the Microsoft Store, but if you manage to find it, it will run you $64.99 USD.

If you have $249.99 USD to spend, you can also pick up the Titanfall Collector’s Edition package. The package includes the Titanfall game, a hardcover art book with over 190 pages of “rare concept art”, a full-size Atlas Titan poster, and a beautifully crafted 18-inch tall Titan statue with over 300 individual parts and LED lighting.

Unfortunately, if you are looking to pick up the simply amazing Xbox One styled Titanfall console that has been floating around the web – it is not for sale. The console was a gift from Microsoft to the Titanfall team and we are certainly jealous.

Are you prepared for Titanfall - will you be picking it up? Sound off below in the comments.

The Xbox One didn’t get any new games last week, but that was just the calm before the storm. This week, the highly anticipated Titanfall has finally landed in North America (the European release will follow on Friday). Possibly the most advanced first-person shooter to date, Titanfall has the potential to move Xbox One consoles like no game before it. Check out our “Everything you need to know for the Titanfall launch” article for more details.

The Xbox 360 still has to wait two weeks for Titanfall, which is exclusive to Xbox consoles and PC. But the 360 gets a heavy hitter of its own this week: Dark Souls II from Namco Bandai. Players who crave a challenge will be busy with Dark Souls II for a very long time. Head past the break for screenshots, trailers, and Store links for both games!

Titanfall (Xbox One)

The first game from ReSpawn Entertainment (the studio founded by the creators of the Call of Duty series) is finally upon us! This online-only first-person shooter allows players to take part in large-scale matches against both other players and CPU-controlled bots. The result is a multiplayer experience that also feels like a single-player game, complete with story sequences during the multiplayer campaign.

Besides great graphics (regardless of the 792p native resolution) and the development team’s pedigree, Titanfall also offers compelling and unique features like gigantic player-controlled robots called Titans. Even outside of the Titans, players still have tons of freedom thanks to jetpacks, ziplines, and a wall-jumping ability.

Titanfall is also available in an Xbox One console bundle, with a Titanfall-themed controller available separately. The Xbox 360 version will follow on March 25 in the US and March 28 in Europe. Will the Xbox 360 version live up to its next-gen brother? We’ll find out in two weeks.

• Titanfall – Xbox One – 16.4 GB – $59.99 – Amazon Link– Xbox.com Link
• Titanfall Xbox One Console Bundle – $499.99 – Amazon Link
• Titanfall Controller – Xbox One – $64.99 – Amazon Link

Dark Souls II (Xbox 360)

Spiritual successors to Demon’s Souls on Playstation 3, the Dark Souls games from From Software and Namco Bandai are some of the most challenging action-RPGs on the market. Early word from reviews is that Dark Souls II is just as difficult and rigorous as its predecessors, with deadly enemies and traps aplenty and precious little guidance compared to most modern games. That’s all part of the fun, series fans would say.

Death proves even more punishing in part II, as each death reduces your maximum HP until it reaches 50 percent of the original total. Only a rare item will restore a player’s humanity and maximum HP limit. Other changes include a new leveling up system, the ability to fast travel between bonfires at will, and an improved lock-on ability during combat.

To be honest, the Dark Souls series is way too hardcore for me. But I can see why people with more free time and/or masochistic tendencies are drawn to the series’ beautiful universe and deep gameplay.

• Dark Souls II– Xbox 360 – 5.75 GB –  $59.99 – Amazon Link– Xbox.com Link

Xbox Live Arcade

Rayman Fiesta Run for Windows Phone and Windows 8

It doesn’t look like we get a new downloadable Xbox Live Arcade game this week, but I’m sure another will come along soon. At least Rayman Fiesta Run just launched (for real this time) on Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8, so none of us should go through downloadable Xbox game withdrawal.

Coming up next week

Most game publishers have wisely chosen to avoid launching titles this week that would drown in the Titanfall and Dark Souls II hype. But another big game does loom on the horizon! Next week, Konami will release Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes for Xbox One, 360, and Playstation consoles. Yes, that is a stupid subtitle.

Ground Zeroes serves as a value-priced prequel for the true Metal Gear Solid V that remains in development. Players once again take on the role of Snake, who must infiltrate a prison camp in order to perform a daring rescue. The game's environments are now much more open than before, allowing Snake to solve problems and handle enemy encounters with a variety of solutions. He can even drive vehicles.

The Xbox One and 360 versions of Ground Zeroes feature an exclusive mission called "Jamais Vu." The bad news is you play as Raiden during the mission. As for the Playstation versions, they get a different mission starring the Metal Gear Solid 1 version of Solid Snake. Do any of you guys want the extra missions badly enough to pick the game up on both Microsoft and Sony platforms?

• Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes– Xbox One –  $39.99 – Amazon Link
• Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes– Xbox 360 –  $29.99 – Amazon Link

Quiz Bowl is a fairly new Windows Phone 8 game that has you matching wits online against other players in a friendly trivia match. Quiz Bowl four trivia groups that are filled with eleven trivia categories that include tens of thousands of questions.

You can challenge friends to a game or an opponent will be generated at random to compete against. Each game has about seven questions and you will have ten seconds to answer each question. The faster your response, the more points you earn.

Quiz Bowl is a decent Windows Phone 8 game that is an entertaining way to pass the time with.

Quiz Bowl Layout

When you first launch Quiz Bowl, you will need to establish your player profile where a secret code will be sent to your phone to register your profile with the gaming system. Along with creating a player name and setting your Country of origin, you will also choose a player icon.

You have a core group of player icons that are available right out of the gate. Additional icons become unlocked as you advance through the gaming levels or if you would rather not wait, you can unlock the additional icons via in-app purchase ($.99).

Once you have your profile set, you will jump to Quiz Bowl’s main menu that has options to start a new game and review your gaming history. At the bottom corners of the main menu, you will also find options to view Quiz Bowl’s online leaderboard and the game’s About Screen.

When you are ready to start a new game, Quiz Bowl has four groupings of trivia categories that include Music/Entertainment, Sports, TV/Books/Movies, and World/Business. Within these four groupings, you will find eleven trivia categories that include:

• Beatles Trivia
• British Royalty
• American Football
• Harry Potter
• Sex and the City
• Star Trek
• The Bible
• X-Files
• World Flags
• Logos
• U.S. Citizenship

In tapping a category, you will have options to start a game, invite a friend, view the leaderboard for that category and view the discussions. Game play is not live so you can start multiple games at once and you do not have to wait for your opponent to begin the game.

However, you can only have up to eight simultaneous games going at once with the free version. That will include any games you are waiting for your opponent to complete. To remove this restriction will cost you $1.49 through an in-app purchase.

Lastly, when you are invited to play in a trivia match you will see the "Game Ready" appear at the top of the category page. Just tap the Play Now button to accept the match challenge.

Game Play

Trivia games include seven questions that will range from the traditional question/answer style questions as well as picture identification styled questions. Each question is allotted ten seconds to answer and the faster you answer, the more points you earn.

Again, game play is not live but your opponent is asked the same questions. If you opponent is delayed in playing the game, the game will be marked in your “My Games” section as “waiting for opponent” until your opponent completes the questions.

When both players complete the round of play, a scoring summary is generated declaring one player the winner. Your points are applied to your player level for that particular category. The higher you advance in gaming levels, more profile icons become available and it appears the questions become more challenging.

Speaking of which, some of the questions are fairly challenging and while there was some repetition with the questions, the frequency was not terrible.

Overall Impression

Quiz Bowl has the potential of being a very enjoyable trivia game for Windows Phone 8.

Online gaming is always dependent on how responsive your opponent is. A slow to respond opponent can drag out game play to the point it becomes dull and boring. I like how Quiz Bowl allows one player to be slower in completing their trivia quiz without affecting the overall gaming experience. The gaming experience will improve as the player base grows in number to reduce the wait time needed to find an opponent.

The trivia categories aren’t too shabby but Quiz Bowl does need to see the number and varieties of categories grow. You can request a new topic from the New Game screen and, based on the Windows Phone Store description, more categories are in the works. The more variety, the more appeal Quiz Bowl will have.

Quiz Bowl may lack the fast pace of action/adventure Windows Phone games but has a certain level of appeal. While you are up against a clock when answering questions, Quiz Bowl does have a slight casual pace. Game time doesn’t require a lot of time, making it ideal to help you pass short bits of time.

Quiz Bowl is a free, ad-supported game that is available for Windows Phone 8 devices. You can remove the ads and eliminate the game number limits through an in-app purchase of $1.49.

You can find your copy of Quiz Bowl here in the Windows Phone Store.

Popular mobile games often take a long time to arrive on Windows Phone - if they ever make the trip at all. Last year I wrote an editorial explaining the delay in porting games to Windows Phone and the market situations that make such delays inevitable. To make a long story short, bringing games from iOS and Android to Windows Phone at the same time as the lead version often doesn’t make financial sense for the publisher… Not that we have to like it.

In fact, one of our dedicated readers doesn’t care to wait-and-see whether popular games like Candy Crush Saga will make it to Windows Phone at all. Tjecco been running a forum thread dedicated to contacting mobile developers about support for Microsoft’s mobile OS for a while now. With the help of other fine readers, he continues to reach out to developers and update the thread with their responses. Find out which developers have recently confirmed Windows Phone support (and what you can do to help) after the break!

Developers to contact

Clash of Clans

Tjecco has done the legwork to find contact information for the following developers and publishers. Companies with an asterisk have published at least one Windows Phone game in the past.

• 2D BOY (World of Goo)
• BulkyPIX (Hysteria Project 2, Undead Soccer, Goblins Rush)
• Crescent Moon Games (Paper Monsters, Monkey Boxing, and more)
• Fireproof Games (The Room)
• Gamevil (Cartoon Wars, Punch Hero, Zenonia, and many more)
• Glu (Eternity Warriors, Deer Hunter, Zombies Ate My Friends, and many more)*
• GoodTeam - (Empire Defense, Farm Bubble, Diamond Miner)
• Ironhide Game Studio (Kingdom Rush, Clash of the Olympians)
• Kabam (The Hobbit: Kingdoms, Kingdoms of Camelot: Battle, Arcane Empires)
• Kiloo (Frisbee Forever)
• King.com (Candy Crush Saga, Bubble Witch Saga, Pet Rescue Saga)
• Ludia Games - (Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Jurassic Park Builder, Family Feud & Friends)
• MADFINGER Games (Dead Trigger, Samurai II: Vengeance, Shadowgun)
• Mobage (MARVEL War of Heroes, Transformers Legends, Tiny Tower, and many more)
• PopCap (Plants vs. Zombies 2, Peggle, Bejeweled Blitz)*
• PlayFirst, Inc (Diner Dash, Cooking Dash)
• Reliance Games (Real Steel, Ninja Strike, Paper Dash)*
• Rockstar Games (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Max Payne Mobile)*
• SNK PLAYMORE (King of Fighters, Metal Slug series)
• Supercell (Clash of Clans)
• Trickster Arts (Hero of Many)
• ZeptoLab (Cut the Rope 2, Pudding Monsters)*
• and many more!

See the first page of our forum thread for each studio's email address and contact page.

Ups and downs: Developer responses

Bravura Quest Rush is reportedly coming to Windows Phone!

Emailing developers about supporting Windows Phone out of the blue has a few drawbacks, but also one big advantage. Sometimes you receive encouraging news for your trouble!  Our forum thread users report that these developers have said yay to Windows Phone support:

• Digital Tales, Italian makers of beautiful casual action-RPG Bravura Quest Rush have started porting it to Windows Phone.
• Dirtybit, makers of multiplayer racing game Fun Run says, “We are looking into the possibilities of developing Fun Run for Windows Phone.” Better than a no!
• Milkcap, creators of whimsical action game Tiki Monkeys will be bringing it to Windows Phone soon.
• Fluik Games, who publish a variety of casual games like Grumpy Bears and Office Zombie, says they have a Windows Phone title in development.

It’s great to have all of those guys on board. You can bet we’ll be following up with each developer directly in the near future!

On the other hand, readers have received negative responses from Telltale Games (The Walking Dead and Fables), King.com, Halfbrick (who at least gave us Jetpack Joyride and Fruit Ninja), Madfinger, and Supercell. But even those holdouts could come around eventually…

Developer resistance

Transformers Legends (image courtesy of Kotaku)

Again, emailing companies about gaming-related issues can be hit or miss. Many of you probably remember our efforts to get Microsoft back onboard with Xbox Windows Phone last year. Microsoft never answered anybody and seemed unaffected by gamer requests and complaints. Then again, they are rumored to be working on relaxing the Xbox Windows Phone certification requirements. Maybe they did end up hearing us after all.

In my travels to various gaming events, I’ve spoken to numerous non-Windows Phone app and game developers. Their number one concern with supporting Windows Phone is market share. Even as the share continues to grow, many game makers look at the numbers and find them too small to consider. They could just developer a new game or app on the leading two platforms, each of which has a much larger addressable market. That challenge will continue to hold Windows Phone software support back for some time to come.

Still, another perspective tells us that it’s easier to get a game noticed in a smaller market than the massive iOS market. Windows Phone gamers are hungry for titles, and the games we want are often unavailable. Why not try being a big fish in a small pond instead of a small fish in a big pond? Developers can also count Windows Phone Central to cover their quality games, whereas they might not even get noticed by an iOS-specific site.

Can we really make a difference?

Zenonia 4

You might be wondering how likely a developer or publisher is to listen to user requests for Windows Phone ports of their games. In truth, it all depends on the company’s size and workload. A studio with four employees and few active projects could be swayed by (let’s say) fifty emails… Especially if their games use the Unity Engine, a multiplatform engine which makes porting to Windows Phone relatively easy.

A larger company like Zeptolab, though? We’d all like to see them bring Cut the Rope 2 over. You have to wonder what’s the holdup, given the apparent success of their two previous releases on Windows Phone. But 50 emails is just a drop in the pond to Zeptolab and many of the developers I listed at the start of this article. It would take something like a thousand emails (just an estimate) to show the big guys that there is significant demand for their games on our platform. Yes, you have to speak up a lot when communicating with a giant!

You can bet that many Windows Phone gamers (even those poor souls who don’t read our site) reach out to Supercell, King.com, and Mobage asking for Windows Phone games. We just need a lot more players to chime in with the same requests. That’s why you should sign up for our forums if you haven’t already and join the fight in Tjecco’s thread. It doesn’t take much effort to write a polite email, and you never know what good news you’ll receive for your troubles.

Mobile Equality

Perhaps Twitter is more your thing than email. The user-run Twitter account @MobileEquality is dedicated to encouraging developers to support Windows Phone as well. You can follow that account and use the hashtag #MobileEquality in your tweets to developers. Just don't start adding the tag to all your comments here - this ain't Twitter.

There’s some good news for those with Windows Phone devices who like to game, even more so if you like Spiderman. Gameloft has just announced that the Amazing Spider-Man 2 official game is headed to your phone “in April”. It will join a similar version for iOS and Android, finally giving launch parity to Windows Phone.

There’s no word if this will be an Xbox LIVE game though our hunch is ‘no’ as Gameloft has been foregoing certification lately (see Asphalt 8, Total Conquest and Minion Rush). Indeed, if Gameloft wants to get this game out in the same week as iOS and Android, it will probably need the freedom offered by it not being an Xbox LIVE title, much to the disappointment of many.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 movie hits theaters in the US on May 2nd, giving this game a few weeks breather before its release and the film it’s based off of. From the presser:

“After the tremendous success of the first The Amazing Spider-Man mobile game, we’re excited to be working with Marvel again to bring the fan-favorite hero back onto smartphones with The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” says Karine Kaiser, VP Marketing & Licensing at Gameloft. “Players will enjoy a deep open-world adventure and iconic web-spinning action that makes Spider-Man so extraordinary.”

Gameloft already had another Spiderman title, dubbed simply The Amazing Spider-Man with Xbox LIVE certification (read our review). That game was released in early 2013 and runs for a pricey $6.99. Gamers seem to be happy with it though, as it maintains 4.5 stars out of 5 from over 700 reviews.  Here’s hoping that Gameloft can strike gold again with the game’s sequel.

Make sure you check out the official teaser trailer above to see what’s in store. It’s shocking. (I’ll show myself out now, sorry).

Source: Gameloft; via WP7Forum.ru

The long wait has paid off and Titanfall is finally here for Xbox One and Windows PC (Xbox 360 version is due soon). The game throws you into the battlefield as a Titan pilot – your Titan is the ultimate mechanical warrior to help you squash the enemy resistance. There are quite a few Titans to choose from though, and if you are stumped on which to choose, the following personality test from Respawn Entertainment might match you to the perfect robot warrior.

The Titanfall team has posted a “personality test” that lets you know which type of Titan “best suits your style of play”. The test requires that you connect to Facebook and then asks you five various questions that determine your titan. You can access the test by clicking here.

After taking the test, you will even receive a customized badge with your picture, name, and Titan class. If you are feeling super proud, you can download the badge or share it to Facebook and Twitter (when it comes back online, that is).

Have you picked up Titanfall yet – what is your favorite Titan?

Source: Titanfall; via Xbox

Race The Stig is an endless runner styled game for Windows Phone 8 where you take on Top Gear’s driver, the Stig. You will need to stay a car length ahead of Stig while you jump over parked cars, dodge parked semi-trailer, and weave in and out of traffic.

For those not familiar, Top Gear is a popular BBC motoring show (you also have a U.S. variation on the History Channel). The Stig is a character from the show whose primary role is to set lap times for cars showcased on Top Gear. The game was recently released on iOS, Android and Windows Phone and after spending a little time with the game, it is an enjoyable game to pass the time with. Catch the full review after the break.

Menus

Race The Stig’s main menu offers up options to access the game’s settings, view your challenges, check in on your Facebook Friends progress, view your cars and visit the gaming store.

Settings offer your standard sound/music levels along with options to view the game’s privacy policy, credits and a means to contact developer support. You also have an option to enter a promo code for free stuff. Promo codes are generated daily and are accessible from the flash screen as the game loads. Just tap on the screen to redline the tachometer and the code will appear.

While the primary goal of Race The Stig is to stay ahead of the Stig, the game also includes sets of secondary missions such as jumping your car a set number of times or achieving a predetermined score. Missions come in sets as well as daily and weekly goals.

If you sign into Race The Stig with your Facebook account, you can view your friend’s scores and show off your scores.

The Me tile on the main menu pulls up options to change your car and helmet along with viewing your racing stats. You begin the game driving Oliver, one of the Top Gear host’s car, and with the golden nuts you earn during game play you can unlock additional vehicles (as well as helmet styles) to race.

If you are curious about the history behind the vehicle you are racing, a YouTube video on the car (similar to the one above on Oliver) can be accessed by tapping the filmstrip that sits just below the car name.

The gaming store offers in-app purchase opportunities to buy nuts that can be used to purchase boosts, cars, and helmets. You can also remove the ads through a $.99 in-app purchase.

To jump into game play, just tap the center of the main menu.

Game Play

When you first launch Race The Stig, you will race through a tutorial that explains the gaming controls. You control your vehicle through a series of screen gestures (e.g. slide up to jump, swipe left/right to change lanes, slide down to duck, etc.).

The goal is to dodge traffic and collect the gold nuts that are scattered about the playing field. The game screen has your score and nut count displayed in the upper left corner of the screen and your top score displayed in the right corner.

Obstacles range from parked cars you’ll need to jump over, parked semi-trucks you’ll need to maneuver around and barricades you duck under. The further you progress, the more challenging the game becomes.

You will have to cross busy intersections, dodge traffic flow and at times avoid being hit by the Stig. All the while collecting the golden nuts that can be used in the game’s store.

There are bonus items that can be collected to turn your car into a rocket ship to fly above the traffic or become invincible and crush everything in your path.

Overall Impression

Race The Stig is a nice addition to the growing collection of endless runner styled games in the Windows Phone Store. The game does have a Subway Surfer feel to it, just with cars instead of boards.

There aren’t any complaints on the graphic quality and game play is challenging enough to keep things interesting. Gesture controls are responsive and the gaming engine does a really nice job generating track layouts to avoid a feeling of repetition. I wouldn't mind seeing more car choices (a '67 Mustang Fastback would be nice) but it is our understanding the developer has more to add to the game with future updates.

Race The Stig is a free, ad-supported game that is available for Windows Phone 8 (including low-memory devices). You can find Race The Stig here in the Windows Phone Store.

Poppy Kart is a relatively new racing game for Windows Phone 8 that takes a bit of a pixelated approach to things. The story line has Froggy running away from home and her dad has challenged you to find her by racing your way through the various levels of game play.

Poppy Kart has a “Mario Kart” feel to things and the pixelated graphics gives the game a retro appearance. Storyline aside, the races can be rather challenging and a fun way to pass the time with. All things considered, Poppy Kart is not a bad gaming option to consider for Windows Phone 8.

Game Layout

When you first launch Poppy Kart, you will be presented with a series of storyboards explaining the game’s storyline. You can advance through these screens to get to game play quicker.

The main menus for Poppy Kart has options to log into your Facebook account, jump into game play, and visit the game’s store. You can access the game’s settings from the main menu as well. Settings cover display options, control options and sound/music levels.

Jumping into game play your first task is to select your gaming control style. Poppy Kart has three styles of on-screen controls or you can opt to use the Windows Phone tilt sensors to steer your cart around the racetrack.

Poppy Kart has two gaming difficulties, progressive and expert. Progressive starts out on the easy side and slowly becomes more challenging. Expert starts out on the difficult side and does not waver.

The game includes eight different players that progressively become unlocked as you advance through the game. You’ll start out racing Poppy but you also have Norton the elephant, Crapo the frog and others to race along the way.

Poppy Kart has seven racetracks to conquer with the free version (additional tracks can be unlocked through a $1.99 in-app purchase). From the track selection screen, you can also replay the intro scenes, change your Kart racer and visit the game’s store where you can unlock the full game and buy totems that will go towards finding Froggy and advance through the racing levels.

Game Play

Game play begins with you and your opponents at the starting gate for the race. Your racing data will be displayed in the upper left corner of the screen (position, lap number, and items collected). Your racing time will be displayed in the upper right corner of the game screen.

Steering controls will be dependent on the style you choose in the game’s settings. You also have to buttons in the lower right side of the screen to break and activate your special power (used to take out opponents). Acceleration is automatic by default or you can add an accelerator button to the gaming screen and handle things manually.

As you race, you can collect totems and tokens that appear randomly on the racetrack. You’ll need to finish no lower than fourth place in the race and collect a predetermined number of totems and tokens to advance to the next racetrack.

The pixelated graphics teeter on giving the game a childlike appearance but game play tells a different story. The race tracks were laid out in a mildly challenging fashion and your competition can get down right nasty at times. Don't be surprised if a frog race his kart up next to yours and slams you into a barricade. Luckily, you can always return the favor.

Overall Experience

I have to admit the more I played Poppy Kart, the more the game grew on me. Graphics are nice and the pixilation gives Poppy Kart a classic or retro feel.

Game play is challenging enough to keep things interesting and I think the key to success with Poppy Kart is finding which set of controls works the best. I was not a big fan of the tilt steering and found placing the steering controls in the left/right sides of the screen worked the best (your views may differ).

There is a Windows 8 version of Poppy Kart (free with in-app purchases) available and you can use your Windows Phone 8 device as your gaming controller. You’ll need to install Poppy Kart on your Windows Phone and tap the “poppystick” link on the game’s main menu to connect your Windows Phone to your Windows 8 device via Wi-Fi.

If you need a break from the intense graphics and high speed action of racing games like Asphalt 8: Airborne, take Poppy Kart out for a spin. I’m not sure it can hold up to lengthy gaming sessions but for short bits of time, it is a nice option to pass the time with.

Poppy Kart is a free, ad-support game that is available for Windows Phone 8. Again, the free game is limited to seven races and a $1.99 in-app purchase will unlock additional races and remove the ads.

You can find Poppy Kart here in the Windows Phone Store. The Windows 8 version of Poppy Kart can be picked up here in the Windows Store.

Angry Birds, the popular IP from Finnish game studio Rovio, has yet again been updated for Windows Phone. The original base title has been bumped to version 4.1 with even more content for players. Next time you fire up the game, you'll see new levels to battle through.

Bomb Bird returns in 4.1 with a devastating shock wave power, which can be utilised in 15 "electrifying" new levels. This brings the total number of levels in the Short Fuse episode to 45. If you've yet to return to the original Angry Birds on Windows Phone, we urge you to do so with today's update.

You can download Angry Birds from the Windows Phone Store for $0.99. via: Plaffo

Flappy Bird is a rather special mobile game, illustrating what can happen when a seemingly unimaginative concept goes viral and the developer subsequently wishes to remove oneself from the spotlight. The game has also split communities in two with many wanting the name to simply remain dead, but that hasn't halted numerous developers across all platforms from attempting to ride on the success that is Flappy Bird.

Now the creator of Flappy Bird has said in an interview we could well see the game again.

Dong Nguyen is the Vietnamese developer behind the insanely popular smartphone game. He told Rolling Stone in a March 11th interview that he's considering whether or not to bring back Flappy Bird. It could well be down to the reported $50,000 monthly earnings from the game. The reason Nguyen removed the game was allegedly down to him finding the game to be too addicting for smartphone owners.

Nguyen did promise that an official Windows Phone version was in the works, meaning the project could be resurrected. 

We simply couldn't get enough of Flappy Bird.

Turn on CC, unless you understand Dutch.

If Nguyen brings back the game, he has hinted at the possibility of including a warning message to inform players they should take a break. Would you like to see the official Flappy Bird game finally made available on Windows Phone? For now, there are multiple clones on the store.

Source: Rolling Stone, via: Huffington Post; Thanks, Amol, for the heads up!

Galaga Legions DX wasn’t the best Xbox game on Windows Phone. In fact, I named it as one of the five worst Xbox games of 2012. But still, it was that very rare thing: an exclusive Windows Phone game from a major publisher that never showed up on other mobile platforms (though it originated on Xbox 360). I even managed to get all of Legions DX’s Achievements and write a guide for them.

You’ll notice I speak of Galaga Legions DX entirely in the past tense; that’s because it was delisted from the Windows Phone Store within the last few days. That makes it the fourth Xbox Windows Phone game to disappear this year. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12, Tower Bloxx New York, and 3D Brick Breaker Revolution were all delisted in January. Only three new Xbox games have made it to Windows Phone in 2014, so we’re actually one down for the year.

Not the Galaga you were looking for

It would have been great to receive the original Galaga on Windows Phone. That game may be kind of simplistic by modern standards, but it’s also a legitimate arcade classic. Instead we got a port of Galaga Legions DX, the console sequel nobody asked for to the disappointing Galaga Legions.

Though it’s not very Galaga-like, Galaga Legions DX isn’t such a bad game. Sure, it lacks two-thirds of the XBLA game’s content, but enough levels remain for a passable mobile shoot-em-up. With tons of ships on-screen at once and flashy visual effects, it’s actually quite pretty.

The touch screen controls are where things went wrong. Legions DX suffers from literally the worst virtual stick I’ve ever encountered in a phone game. It’s like the developers had never touched a smartphone game before and also forgot to playtest their creation. Check out our review for more details.

 Adding insult to injury, the game sold for a whopping $6.99. You don’t charge seven bucks for a below average mobile game and expect it to sell. Shame that Namco Bandai pulled the game instead of fixing its controls. If you’re dying for some Galaga Legions DX, the Xbox 360 version is still available.

We’ve reached out to the publisher about the delisting and will update if they respond.

• Galaga Legions DX– Windows Phone 7 and 8 – 124 MB – Delisted – Store Link
• Galaga Legions DX– Xbox 360 – 126 MB – $9.99 – Xbox.com Link

The Xbox One’s first killer app Titanfall launched earlier this week, and appears to be selling like hotcakes. The release of a big new console game often inspires players to pick up a few accessories, and Titanfall is no different. In addition to deluxe third-party headsets, Microsoft has just released its own Xbox One Stereo Headset as well as the Titanfall Limited Edition Wireless Controller.

Nobody needs a new controller just for Titanfall; it’s an online-only game without support for local multiplayer. But the Limited Edition Controller is extremely stylish, and you probably need an extra controller for other multiplayer games anyway. We’ve got lots of photos, a hands-on video, and even a list of local multiplayer Xbox One games in our detailed review.

If looks could kill

The Titanfall controller is structurally identical to a normal Xbox One controller. It does not add any new features like rapid fire. The excellent, clicky d-pad, slightly taller-than-average analog sticks, triggers with satisfying internal vibration, and stiff bumper buttons are all identical the controller I described in our Xbox One console review last year. You won’t get a competitive advantage by picking up this controller – just a unique appearance.

The body of an Xbox One controller consists of several distinct pieces of plastic: the face, two side pieces, the rear and battery compartment, and a glossy black area at the top that houses the Home button. The glossy Home button area and black rear piece on the Titanfall controller are both identical in color to the standard controller. So are the buttons, triggers, sticks, and d-pad. Note that the d-pad is glossy black, not chrome like the Day One Edition controller.

The front and sides are where the Titanfall controller stands out from its standard brethren. All three pieces are made of a dull white (almost light gray) plastic instead of black. In the front center you’ll find an orange A printed in the same font as the Titanfall logo. Spreading out asymmetrically from there are gray hexagons and dots and some small orange designs.

At the bottom center of the face, just above the headset port sits a black stripe with a (non-unique) serial number and warning text in white. This makes the headset jack feel like the receiver where you’d insert a magazine on an actual gun. And the Xbox One headset adapter does look mighty cool when connected there.

The left hand grip bears mostly orange livery with simulated manufacturer’s text in black. The right grip hosts black livery with the designation “C101” in white. Those letters refer to one of Titanfall’s guns, which we’ll get to in a bit. On the actual sides of the controller, just past those large patches of livery are lines of thin, matching colored stripes. And right above those lines: trigger button labels.

Titanfall, Wipeout, or Remember Me?

When Microsoft first announced the Titanfall controller back in January, I worried that the paint job looked a little too busy. Blame the little gray hexagons on the front. But in person, it’s actually quite slick. That said, I do have to question just how much the controller design evokes the imagery of Titanfall.

Nothing on the packaging or marketing materials shows anything from the game resembling the controller’s color scheme. The box (quite lovely on its own, by the way) just depicts a dark and partially silhouetted Titan mech with a pilot crouched on its arm. Neither the Titan, the soldier, nor his gun have a lick of white or orange on them.

Ostensibly though, the controller’s color scheme is based on the in-game R-101C Carbine assault rifle. Hence the “C101” on the right grip. But the official image of the R-101C Carbine actually uses a green and brown control scheme. Way to sell the connection, guys! In fact, the production image for the C.A.R. SMG weapon resembles the Titanfall controller’s colors far more closely.

Perhaps somebody got their reference images mixed up during the controller design phase. If Titanfall had allowed players to swap weapon skins, we could make the R-101C more closely resemble the controller. That would be a fun feature, as Gears of War players already know. But I’m told weapon skins are not swappable.

Xbox One games with local multiplayer (non-Kinect)

Even though Titanfall only supports a single controller during gameplay, anyone who games with friends or family could always use an extra controller. The Xbox One’s software library is still quite young, but a number of games support local multiplayer and/or split-screen already.

• Call of Duty: Ghosts
• FIFA 14
• Forza Motorsport 5
• Killer Instinct
• LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
• The LEGO Movie Videogame
• LEGO The Hobbit (coming in April)
• Madden NFL 25
• NBA 2K14
• NBA Live 14
• Peggle 2
• Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare
• Rayman Legends
• Skylanders Swap Force

Value proposition

We’ve already established that the Titanfall controller functions identically to a normal Xbox One controller. Yet it costs five dollars more. So what do you get for your extra five bucks?

Besides the unique paint job, the only differentiator included with this controller is the Titanfall-themed packaging. The box actually does look very nice. I can see people with more shelf space than I have proudly displaying it as evidence of their Titanfall love. Considering the Limited Edition nature of the controller, attractive packaging is certainly a smart idea.

Yet the absence of digital incentives feels like a missed opportunity. The Gears of War 3 Xbox 360 controller came with five in-game weapon skins. On Xbox One, even the Day One Xbox Live Gold subscription card included an exclusive Dark Jago skin for Killer Instinct. A multiplayer-centric game like Titanfall would have benefited from character or weapon skins just as much as those games. At least Microsoft could have thrown an extra month of Xbox Live Gold into the Titanfall controller package.

Instead we get a pretty controller and a collectible box for a small additional cost compared to the regular controller’s price of $59.99. It does cost more to create and distribute an accessory in a unique color like this, as evidenced by Microsoft’s decision not to mass produce that Titanfall-colored Xbox One console that leaked awhile back. Fans of Titanfall and/or distinctive controllers just have to pony up a little more to cover Microsoft’s extra manufacturing cost.

Overall Impression

Our Stereo Headset review is coming soon!

Regardless of its price tag, the Titanfall Limited Edition Wireless Controller for Xbox One is quite a looker. If you only have one controller to begin with or just need an extra controller or two in order to reach the local multiplayer sweet spot of four, definitely consider grabbing this one. As a Limited Edition controller, it won’t be readily available in stores come next year.

Visually distinct controllers are actually useful to own because they make it easier to tell each person’s controller apart during local multiplayer sessions. We usually have to wait until a year or two into a console’s lifespan before differently colored controllers become available, so kudos to Microsoft for releasing this one so early.

• Titanfall Limited Edition Wireless Controller – Xbox One – $64.99 – Amazon Link

Zombies Ate My Doctor is a fast paced, endless runner game for Windows Phone 8 where you are racing through hospital halls, shooting up zombies and rescuing the local sheriff.

Graphics are well done, game play challenging and the game has a first person shooter element. Zombies Ate My Doctor makes a good first impression and is not a bad option to pass the time with.

Main Menu

Zombies Ate My Doctor’s main menu presents you with the common elements most games have. You can access the game’s settings, visit the game’s store, view your achievements, check out your inventory and jump into game play.

The game’s settings deal with muting the sound and choosing your game controls (screen swipes or using the tilt sensors).

As you play the game, you’ll earn coins that can be used in the Zombies Ate My Doctor’s Store. Store items include buying better weapons, stronger hospital beds, and character power-ups. You also have in-app purchase opportunities to buy coins so you can get a jump on things.

As you purchase items, you can go into your inventory screen to choose which weapon and bed you would like to use. When you have everything set, tapping the play button sends you directly into game play.

Game Play

Game play with Zombies Ate My Doctor has you rushing Sheriff Kevin, the local sheriff, down hospital hallways in hopes of escaping alive. The hospital has been overrun with zombies, who incidentally ate the attending physician, nurses, orderlies and maintenance men.

You play the game from a first person point of view and have to switch lanes to pass through unlocked, green doors and avoid obstacles. If you hit a red door (locked) or obstacles scattered about the hospital the zombies will catch you and eat your brains.

Another issue that you will have to deal with is the zombie hordes. Here is where the Sheriff and his weapon come in handy. You will need to tap on the zombies as you approach them to blast them into smithereens. Any zombies that evade your gunfire will hit the Sheriff, sapping him of a little health. When the health meter strikes zero, the zombies over take your efforts and, well, eat your brains.

The gaming screen has your health meter in the upper left corner, your score in the upper right and just below is your zombie kills and coins collected count.

As you make your run, you have several mission/achievements you can tackle. Tap the pause button on the game screen to pull up your mission list. You will also run across power-ups that will help improve your chances of surviving the zombie onslaught. Such as a caged to go around the hospital bed that crushes the zombies on contact.

Overall Impression

Zombies Ate My Doctor is an entertaining gaming option for Windows Phone 8. Game play is easy to pick up and the pace of the game keeps things challenging.

One aspect of game play that keeps you on your toes is that the zombies have to be relatively close before you can shoot them. You usually have plenty of time to move left or right to avoid locked doors or obstacles but you’ll need to be a quick shot to survive this game. To add to the challenge of the game, some zombies require multiple shots before going down.

If you are a fan of the endless runner genre of games or simply looking for a fun game to add to your Windows Phone gaming library, Zombies Ate My Doctor is worth a try.

Zombies Ate My Doctor is a free, ad-supported game that is available for Windows Phone 8. You can find Zombies Ate My Doctor here in the Windows Phone Store.

Just keep tapping on the screen. That’s the most important thing you need to know when playing Clan Defenders. It’s a new shooter that has just released on Windows Phone 8, and we’re addicted.

Based in 10000 B.C., there is a happy family living in a beautiful island. Lord Balong, the evil from far away, has arrived to conquer this little island. Ben and his family have to pick up weapons and defend the homeland. Head past the break for our hands-on video and walkthrough.

Features:

• Stunning and clear 3D graphics
• 10+ beautiful places to defend with a total of 100+ levels
• 15+ weapons: Giant catapult, Spear, or Boom-pumpkin, and more
• Several characters with different skills
• Use powerful magic to defend with nature

Clan Defenders is very easy to play. The lower left corner shows the weapons you can use to defend the homeland. You can equip up to three weapons, but you have many to choose from. In the beginning, you’re limited to stones, wood arrows, and catapults. You’ll need coins to upgrade current weapons or equip newer and better weaponry. As you upgrade current weapons, the price for the next level upgrade also increases.

The right side of the screen shows magic skills. These include summoning blizzards, thunder, or meteor showers. You can equip three skills, but there are six to choose from. Choose wisely because you’re limited by how many coins you have.

You can also select from three characters. Each one has different a specialty. For example, Ben can reflect attacks while Amy can reload faster.

Pass each level by simply surviving the waves of attacks. Each level gets harder, so you’ll need to upgrade your weapons. Earn coins by destroying enemies and passing levels.

Clan Defenders is a free download from the Windows Phone Store. There are in-app purchases available to help you move along quicker. For example, you can buy 25,000 coins for $3.99.

Is this your type of game? Sound off in the comments!

Windows Phone Central Game Roundup: Puzzle Games

Puzzle games are a great way to pass the time and we have plenty to choose from for our Windows Phones. Puzzle games have a wide range of appeal and can be a rather addictive past time.

There are so many quality puzzle games available in the Windows Phone Store, it can be hard to pick just a few to highlight in our weekly roundup. So, we kept it simple this week and showcase the top five, best rated puzzle games from the Windows Phone Store. Each title is a quality, addictive and challenging title that would be a fine addition to your Windows Phone gaming library.

FlipSomeTiles Free (Free)

FlipSomeTiles Free is a simple, yet challenging, tile game that is available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x. Your goal is to trace a path between the Start and End tiles, flipping all the tiles in between from white to gold.

You cannot back trace on a tile or lift your finger from the screen. If you do either, you fail the puzzle level. Glass tiles are also present that will let you back trace your path but will shatter when you cross the tile for the second time.

Should you get stuck, there is a help button at the top of the gaming screen the will reveal the solution. Pay attention to the reveal because you will still need to solve the puzzle.

While the gaming concept for FlipSomeTiles Free sounds easy, the game has plenty of challenging puzzle levels. The only downside to the game is that it only has forty levels. You’ll need to upgrade to the paid version of the game to unlock an additional 100 levels.

FlipSomeTiles Free is a free, ad-supported game that is available for Windows Phone 8 and 7.x. You can find FlipSomeTiles Free here in the Windows Phone Store. FlipSomeTile (store link) is the ad-free version that is currently running $ .99. The paid version is just like the free version, just more levels of play.

Oh, and if that wasn’t enough there is a free version of FlipSomeTiles that is available for Windows 8 that is well suited for tablet play. You can find the Windows 8 version of FlipSomeTiles here in the Windows Store.

The Treasures of Montezuma (trial/$.99)

The Treasures of Montezuma is a Bejeweled styled game that is available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x. The game’s storyline has you following Dr. Emily Jones as she solves a mystery that can transform the world. Dr. Jones needs you to solve the matching puzzles to discover artifacts that will trigger various Power Totems.

The Treasures of Montezuma has three gaming modes that include the Story Mode, an Endless Gaming Mode, and an Arcade Mode. Game play with each mode is basically the same in that you are trying to build matches of three or more of the same color/styled tokens. You swap out adjacent tokens to build the matches (much like you would with Bejeweled) and when you do, the tokens

Some of the tokens have gems embedded in the center and to complete the level, you’ll need to collect a pre-set number of these gems (by including them in the match) before the timer runs out or you run out of moves.

The Treasures of Montezuma has plenty of power tokens and bonus items to help you master game play. There are nine trophies/achievements to earn and if you’re not careful, The Treasures of Montezuma can be a painfully addictive puzzle game. My only nit is that if you have the game's volume turned down, a speaker pop occurs randomly throughout game play. It isn’t anything mission critical but can be a little annoying.

There is a free trial version available for The Treasures of Montezuma with the full version running $.99. The puzzle game is available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x and you can find The Treasures of Montezuma here in the Windows Phone Store.

In addition to the Windows Phone version of The Treasures of Montezuma, you can find similar versions available for Windows 8, such as The Treasures of Montezuma 3, here in the Windows Store.

Contre Jour (trial/$2.99)

Contre Jour is a fantastic Xbox Windows Phone puzzle game that is highly addictive. You will find yourself sitting down to play just a few levels and before you know it, thirty minutes has passed by.

Contre Jour calls upon you to guide an odd little creature called Petit to the safety of a glowing light. You pull, swipe and tap on an assortment of gadgets such as tendrils, swings, and air geysers to navigate Petit to its safe harbor. Each level that introduces a new gadget or tool will begin with a tutorial screen to help you better understand game play.

Along the journey, there are plenty of dangers to avoid and overcome that keeps game play challenging. You have spikey balls that will end things for Petit as well as bottomless pits.

For the ultimate gaming experience, you’ll want to play Contre Jour with headphones to appreciate the orchestrated soundtrack. Game play is a little on the dark side but it works. Overall, Contre Jour is fun and challenging puzzle game for your Windows Phone gaming library.

There is a free trial version available for Contre Jour with the full version running $2.99. The Xbox title is available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x and you can find Contre Jour here in the Windows Phone Store.

Logo Quiz Ninja (Free)

Logo Quiz Ninja is a puzzle game that will test your knowledge of product and corporate branding. The “ninja” aspect comes into play with the game’s storyline in that as you complete each level of game play, your ninja earns a new skills belt. Your goal is to complete all the levels to earn your ninja a black belt.

Ten levels of play include hundreds of logos to identify. To make things challenging, the logos are incomplete. Tap on the logo thumbnail you would like to identify and type out the product or company it represents.

Periodically, when you correctly identify a logo your ninja’s sensei will appear with words of wisdom (factual tidbits) on the product or company. Luckily, you can tap through these transition screens to jump back into game play a little quicker.

Logo Quiz Ninja is a free ad-supported game that is available for Windows Phone 8 and 7.x. In-app purchases are available to buy hints (identifies the logo) and buy the premium version ($4.99) that eliminates the ads and provides unlimited hints.

You can find Logo Quiz Ninja here in the Windows Phone Store.

7 Little Words (Free)

7 Little Words is a challenging word puzzle game that has word search and crossword puzzle elements. You are presented with seven clues and twenty letter groups. You will have to use the letter groups to create words that will answer each of the clues.

7 Little Words includes fifty levels of puzzles and four daily puzzles to tackle. Additional puzzle theme packs are available through in-app purchase ($.99 each).

If you get stumped on a word, you can shuffle the letter groups around to get a new perspective on things or tap the “Get a Hint” button to show a hint for one of the clues. You get one free hint with unlimited hints costing $2.99 through an in-app purchase.

7 Little Words is a simple puzzle game but isn’t without challenge. If you only have time to solve a few of the words, fear not, 7 Little Words will save your gaming progress.

Overall, 7 Little Words is a fun, easy to play, challenging game for your Windows Phone. It is a free game that is available for Windows Phone 8. You can find 7 Little Words here in the Windows Phone Store.

If you’re looking for a free Windows 8 puzzle game, 7 Little Words is also available here in the Windows Store.

Best of the Bunch?

All of the five Windows Phone puzzle games are worthy additions to the Store’s gaming library. Contre Jour is wonderfully animated and full of challenging puzzle levels.

The Treasure of Montezuma is also full of challenging puzzle levels that can easily be time consuming. Logo Quiz Ninja will test your knowledge of corporate logos but the game could live without the transition screens.

I like the simplicity of FlipSomeTiles and 7 Little Words. FlipSomeTiles is a good choice for when you need some help passing short bits of time and 7 Little Words is a challenging, yet uncomplicated, word game that combines words search and crossword puzzle mechanics.

Additional puzzle games worth mentioning but falls outside the top five best rated would include:

• Catorize (store link)
• Wordament (store link)
• Zuma’s Revenge (store link, not available for low memory devices)
• Amazing Alex (store link)
• Where’s My Water? (store link)

If we have missed your favorite Windows Phone puzzle game, feel free to toss out your recommendation below in the comments.

Galactic Rush is a simple, yet challenging, endless runner game for Windows Phone 8. The game is from the developers behind Bunny Beyond and has you guiding an astronaut and aliens through various outer space themed obstacle courses.

Galactic Rush has three levels of play, upgradeable power-ups and a handful of characters to unlock. Gaming controls are a collection of screen gestures that are easy to pick up but can be a little on the sensitive side. Overall, Galactic Rush is an entertaining, casual game for Windows Phone 8.

Game Layout

When you first launch Galactic Rush, you’ll be presented with a short animation on the game’s storyline.

The storyline for Galactic Rush has you attending a Galactic Convention where someone has forgotten the snacks. The leadership is looking for the fastest attendee to run out and grab the snacks. A debate ensues and a competition begins to see who is the fastest in the universe.

You can watch the storyline play out or tap the screen to skip things all together and jump to the main menu.

Galactic Rush’s main menu has options to view the opening scene again, check out the help section, access the settings, rate the game and view the About Screen. Settings cover the typical sound, music and vibration options.

When you jump into the game you have a secondary menu that gives you access to:

• Stargazer: Choose your gaming level. The moon level is available with the free version of Galactic Rush with the other two levels available with the Pro version ($1.49 in-app purchase).
• Hall of Fame: Here is where you can view your gaming achievements and share your scores. You’ll need to log into your Facebook account to compare scores with your Facebook friends.
• Lounge: Where you can choose which character you want to race. You begin the game racing the human astronaut and additional characters/aliens can be unlocked through the gaming store.
• Laboratory: This is your gaming store where you can buy upgrades or unlock additional characters with the coin you earn during game play. You also have in-app purchase opportunities to buy gaming currency to get a jump on things.
• Launch: This is where you go to launch game play.

Game Play

Game play is simple, run your character as far as you can. Series of screen gestures control your character such as swiping up to jump, double tap to accelerate or swipe down to duck.

Controls were simple to pick up but at times, I had trouble getting the screen gesture to register correctly. I would swipe up at the screen and it would register as a tap, sending the character into a roll. This is not good if you are trying to jump over a cavern or rock formation.

In the upper right corner, you will find your score and DNA collected (used in the store or used as a second wind). As you make your run, you will need to jump your character over rock formations, caverns, and other dangers. To keep you on your toes, every now and then dangers will appear out of nowhere. Such as anvils falling from the sky or a giant Sasquatch will run across the screen. You’ll need to speed up or jump to avoid getting squished by either.

As you run, you will find blue globs floating around. You can collect these biogels to spend in the gaming store.

Should you hit a rock, fall into a cavern, get stomped on by a giant or hit by a flaming obstacle the game is over. You can get a second wind by using a DNA module and resume game play where you bit the dust. If you opt out of using a DNA module, your scoring summary will appear.

Worth a try?

Galactic Rush is a fun game for Windows Phone 8 that has a casual feel. It is an entertaining option for short bits of time but I’m not sure if it could hold up to longer gaming periods.

While the help screens are nicely drawn-up, it could use a little more detail. Such as explaining what the little symbol is in the upper left corner of the gaming screen (Warp Distance generator?).

The controls are easy to pick up on and the game throws plenty of curve balls your way to keep things interesting. The odd responsiveness of the gestures is really the only downside to game play and hopefully it can be fine-tuned with the next update.

I did like how the game changes up the obstacle course on every game. You could face a series of rock formations out the gate or a series of anvils falling from the sky. The game engine does a nice job of keeping you guessing as to what danger is around the corner.

All in all, Galactic Rush is a nice gaming title for Windows Phone 8. Graphics are nicely drawn-up, game play easy to pick up but challenging as well.

Galactic Rush is a free game that is available for Windows Phone 8 (including low-memory devices) and includes the first gaming level. You can upgrade to the Pro version ($1.49 in-app purchase) to unlock the additional gaming levels.

You can find Galactic Rush here in the Windows Phone Store.

Covy Rush is an endless runner game for your Windows Phone that calls upon you to help Covy the rabbit jump over blocks and collect carrots.

The game has a bit of an elementary school appearance but game play is not without challenge. Gaming controls will take a little time to get used to and will add to the challenge until you get accustom to them.

Still, Covy Rush is not a terrible game for your Windows Phone but lacks that something, something to keep you pulled into the game. Covy Rush is worth trying but may not be attractive to everyone.

Game Layout

Covy Rush’s main menu has the core features but not much beyond that. In the upper left corner is a download button where you can get rid of the ads via in-app purchase ($.99).

In the upper right corner is a mute button and center screen you will have options to start the game, rate the game in the Windows Phone Store and view other games available from the developer.

There is no help option available for Covy Rush beyond the Windows Phone Store description. You also lack any leaderboard or achievements.

Game Play

Covy Rush has Covy the rabbit running an obstacle course where you jump over obstacles and collect carrots for points. Your final score is a combination of how many carrots you collect and how far you can get Covy before the rabbit hits an obstacle.

To jump Covy, you tap/hold the screen and drag downwards to set the intensity of the jump. A dotted line will appear to show you Covy’s jump trajectory. Release your finger to get Covy to perform the jump.

Combined with the pace of the game and having to judge your jump on the run, Covy Rush can be a tad on the challenging side.

If Covy misses a jump and hits one of the blocks, the game is over. From the scoring screen you will have options to head back to the main menu, mute the sound, share your score on Twitter (the connected dot button), replay the game or share your score on Facebook (the heart button).

Overall Impression

Covy Rush does grow on you slightly the more you play the game. Game play can be challenging but also a little frustrating until you get the hang of the jump controls. Graphics are nice and the pace of the game will keep you attentive.

While enjoyable, the game just felt like it was missing something. Maybe it was the absence of a leaderboard or the lack of a help section or maybe even the lack of power-ups but Covy Rush just felt a little too basic. Game play was challenging enough but needs something to keep you pulled into the game.

Covy Rush is worth a try and isn’t a bad option for those looking for an uncomplicated but moderately challenging game. Covy Rush is a free, ad-supported game that is available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices.

You can find your copy of Covy Rush here in the Windows Phone Store. There is a paid version of Covy Rush that is ad-free that is currently running $.99. You can find the paid version of Covy Rush here in the Windows Phone Store.

The Xbox One is quite the media playing powerhouse, poor user library streaming aside. With support for most popular video streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, Blu-ray playback, and the ability to control many cable TV boxes directly through the console, it has most of the movie and TV-watching bases covered. Kinect voice commands for video playback can be fun too.

Still - for many movie and TV watchers, nothing beats the feel, convenience, and responsiveness of a traditional remote control. Microsoft has finally released the Xbox One Media Remote with just those people in mind. Despite widespread stock issues since the remote’s release, we’ve finally managed to pick on up and put it through its paces.

Small and fun to hold

Compared to the original 360 remote control, the Xbox One Media Remote is downright tiny. The entire device has a soft, smooth exterior which makes it surprisingly pleasant to hold. Lending to that ergonomic design is the remote’s convex back, which curves outward. This causes a little wobble when you set it down on the back, but you can always place it face down if that bothers you.

The back is one large piece with a subtle Xbox logo engraved into it. Instead of a separate battery compartment door like most remotes have, the entire back plate must be removed to access the batteries. It takes a little getting used to, but makes for a more attractive appearance.

The Media Remote is entirely matte black. The button labels all have a very dull appearance that could make the remote hard to distinguish if placed on black furniture. Luckily, the buttons won’t be hard to see in the dark thanks to the built-in gyroscope. Tilt the remote or press a button and they all light up a cool white color.

Buttons

Although the Xbox One Media Remote houses 20 buttons, that number proves slightly anemic for movie playback. Noticeably absent are the A, B, X, and Y buttons found on the Xbox 360 remote (and for which Playstation remote controls also have their own equivalents). This causes problems because the Media Remote can’t emulate all the basic functions of an Xbox One controller. We’ll expand on that in a bit.

At the top of the remote is a shiny Home (Guide) button, the only non-soft button on the device. It still lights up though. The Home button is essential for quickly returning to the Home screen or back to the most recent app. It also powers the console on and off in the same way as a standard controller.

Just below that, you’ll find the View (Back) and Menu (Start) buttons. Menu is fairly important because it opens context menus on the Home screen and within the various video playback apps. You can use it to close programs on the Home screen, access the Settings menu within Netflix, and many other functions.

View on the other hand has absolutely no purpose on this remote control. It does nothing on the Home screen, nor do any of the video apps I tested utilize it. Considering the remote lacks a few important buttons, the designers really should not have blown one on a function irrelevant to video playback.

Ironically, the view button’s label suggests a useful purpose: managing snapped applications. One of the main purposes of snapping apps is to enable video playback while playing games and performing other functions. It would be great to toggle control between the snapped app and the main window with a single touch of a button, but instead we have to double-tap the Home button.

The recessed arrows and enter button allow the remote to navigate system menus, Blu-ray and DVD menus, and video playback apps like a boss. Enter essentially acts like the A button on a controller, as it always confirms menu selections. However, the arrow pad and enter don’t truly emulate a controller’s d-pad and A button, which we’ll cover shortly.

Below the arrow pad sit the Back and OneGuide buttons. Back acts a lot like the B Button would, backing out of menus within apps and the system menu. The OneGuide button launches the OneGuide with its TV listings and other functions. If you haven’t connected your console to a supported cable box, the button won’t be of any use to you.

Next you’ll find Volume buttons, Mute, and Channel buttons. Mute is the only button that doesn’t extrude from the remote, but it’s still easy to press. The Volume and Mute buttons do absolutely nothing if you haven’t set your Kinect up as an IR blaster. That’s silly considering the Media Remote *is* an IR remote and could communicate directly with other devices even without a Kinect.

The Channel buttons (surprisingly) do make themselves useful in the system menus. From the main home screen, pressing them will jump between Home, snapped apps, and the Store/Bing screen. In many system menus like Friends’ Activity, the channel buttons act like page up and down buttons, scrolling quickly through content. That said, not every menu makes use of them.

Finally, the standard array of Play/Pause, Rewind, Fast-forward, Skip Back, Skip Forward, and Stop occupy the bottom of the remote. Play is easy to find by touch because of that non-extruded Mute button.

Performance issues

Much as I love video streaming, I still watch a ton of Blu-rays and DVDs. The Media Remote mostly improves the disc-watching experience, with one major exception. It lacks a dedicated menu button! The pop-up menu is an essential component of navigation on Blu-rays, and DVD menus also get lots of use. Yet somehow, not a single button on the Media Remote performs those functions.

With a regular Xbox One controller, you can launch a disc’s pop-up menu by pressing the Menu (Start) button. The same button on the remote does nothing. To access a pop-up menu or top menu, you have to press Play/Pause to open the playback menu, select the ellipsis button on the side of the menu, and THEN find the menu button of choice. What a convoluted and unpleasant place to hide one of Blu-ray and DVD’s most important functions.

I already mentioned the Media Remote doesn’t emulate the exact same functions as a regular controller, which explains why the remote’s Menu button does nothing during disc playback. It turns out that apps must specifically support the remote in order for it to work. Guess which uber popular video app doesn’t support the remote then? YouTube! Launch the YouTube app and you won’t be able to navigate at all. Only the Home or Back buttons will exit the app.

Overall Impression

The Xbox One Media Remote’s lack of a menu button for disc playback and incompatibility with YouTube need to be fixed ASAP. Luckily, those are both simple app issues that Microsoft can address without much effort. The Media Remote SHOULD have included all four main face buttons and emulated a standard controller, just like the Xbox 360 remote did before it. But throwing out things that worked fine in favor of lesser implementations has been a common design trait of the Xbox One (see our launch review for many more examples).

Those complaints aside, the Media Remote is still an essential purchase for movie and TV lovers. It’s far too easy to interrupt playback by hitting the triggers on a regular controller, and Kinect voice commands sometimes fail to work. The Media Remote provides exactly the instant responsiveness and convenience you’d want in a remote control. It works great with Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video, and also does an admirable job of navigating system menus. The price could be a little lower, but you won’t find a better video control option for the Xbox One anytime soon.

Note that the remote remains scarce at the time of review because Microsoft short-shipped all domestic retailers. The supply issues should clear up within a week or two.

• Xbox One Media Remote – $24.99 – Amazon Link

If you are looking for a fun game to give your day a lift, check out the Windows Phone 8 game Skyman. It isn’t a very complicated game but entertaining nonetheless.

You play the role of a stuntman to see how far he can be rocketed through the sky. Skyman has two gaming modes, decent graphics, and crash landings that would make Evel Knievel proud. Overall, Skyman is a fun title to have in your Windows Phone gaming library when you are in the mood for something different. 

Main Menu

Skyman’s main menu is loaded with options to view your gaming leaderboard, view the help section and choose which gaming mode you would like to pursue.

The two gaming modes include a Career Mode and a Challenge Mode. Career Mode has you performing your rocket launches over a thirty-day period where you earn cash based on the distances you jump.

You can use the cash to upgrade your equipment and your final score is based on the amount of money you earn in the thirty-day period. You just need to be careful with your crashes. If your injuries are serious enough, you’ll miss a few days at work (which means no income for those days).

The Challenge Mode is a series of performance challenges such as flying a set distance or maintaining a certain altitude for a set distance.

Both game modes are enjoyable and have their own set of challenges. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Career Mode extend beyond thirty-days. It just felt like as if there wasn’t enough time to enjoy all the gear upgrades you bought.

Game Play

While the two gaming modes have similar game play, there are differences. You start each mode off positioned on the rocket launcher. You can adjust the launcher’s angle by tapping/sliding it up or down.

At the bottom of the screen, you have a power meter, health meter (with the Career Mode), launch tile and equipment tiles (such as your parachute). To launch your stuntman, tap the launch button once the power meter fluctuates to the desired level.

Your stuntman will be launched into the air and eventually you will need to deploy the parachute so he can land safely. Otherwise, he will crash into the ground, tossing about like a rag doll. With the Challenge Mode, if you crash you fail the challenge. With the Career Mode, if you crash it could result in the loss of income that will affect your final score.

In between launch and landing, the options vary a little with the two gaming modes. With the Career Mode, you have equipment you can purchase with your income that will prolong the time airborne. You can buy gliders, jet packs, parachute upgrades, and power boosts for the launcher. As you collect the equipment, additional tiles will appear on the gaming screen to activate their use.

With the Challenge Mode, your stuntman is already fitted with a rocket pack. An altimeter will appear to the right of the screen that rotates the angle of flight the rocket pack will take and an activation tiles sits at the bottom of the screen. Depending on the challenge, you will need to tap the activation tile when the altimeter is highlighting the right angle of flight.

For example, to travel further you’ll want the altimeter pointing up or to maintain a certain altitude it should be pointed at a more level position. Once you have completed the challenge, you’ll let your stuntman descend and eventually deploy his parachute for a safe landing.

Overall Impression

Skyman is a fun game for Windows Phone 8. Graphics are nicely drawn-up and game play challenging enough to keep things from growing stale.

I would not mind seeing the career mode extended and the only nit with game performance is that there is a short delay between tapping an equipment tile and seeing the result. For example, when you tap the parachute tile, it takes a second to see it deploy. If you wait too long, that delay can be the difference between a safe landing and seeing your stuntman kiss the pavement.

While this delay creates a bit of a timing challenge to the game and by no means a deal breaker, it can be a little frustrating.

Skyman is a free game that is available for Windows Phone 8 (including low-memory devices) and well worth a try. You can find Skyman here in the Windows Phone Store. 

Many of us are celebrating Saint Paddy's Day, but developers have been hard at work getting new releases out to your Windows Phones. Today we'll be looking at a number of apps, which have been bumped to new versions to include new functionality and bug fixes. Grab a hot (or cold) beverage, get comfortable and join us past the break for the run through.

Maxthon Browser 1.2.1.1000

There are a few alternative web browsers available for Windows Phone and Maxthon is a popular solution. We've previously looked at the Maxthon Browser and how it provides a speedy experience. The developers have released version 1.2.1.1000, which includes the following additions:

• Adjust your Quick Access tiles and move them around to access your favorite websites in just one click
• Re-load a web page as often as needed with a new refresh/stop function
• Open pages in new tabs when typing url

If you're looking for something a little more than Internet Explorer, give Maxthon a try today and see how you go. 

• Maxthon Browser (3 MB - free)

UnfollowSpy 2.1.1

Using social networks like Twitter or Instagram, you may wish to be alerted to folk who severe their connection with you by hitting the "unfollow" button. Luckily, UnfollowSpy is here to help you stalk your stalkers and know who has decided to stop receiving your content. 

Here is what's new in version 2.1.1:

• Splash screen added
• Redesigned settings page
• "Refresh mode" setting added
• Bug fixes

The app supports both Twitter and Instagram, enabling you to check out some useful statistics.

• UnfollowSpy (4 MB - free)

2flickr 1.7

The Windows Phone developer community produce excellent third-party apps for services that haven't quite got their act together when it comes to platform support. 2flicka is an unofficial client for Flickr, which has been bumped numerous times to include new functionality.

Version 1.7 for 2flicka is a rather minor update, bringing the following changes to Windows Phone:

• Unified UX to be more consistent throughout the app
• Improved hi-res photo viewer

Anyone who uses Flickr should definitely check out 2flicka as their portal to the popular photo sharing network. It's a superb app and is frequently updated.

• 2flicka (4 MB - free)

Permia Duels 1.0.8.0

Card games are becoming seemingly more popular with the likes of Hearthstone from Blizzard, and Permia Duels is an excellent title for Windows Phone. Players take charge of creating the perfect deck, upgrading and forming new cards, taking on other players in battle. The gameplay is simple, yet highly addictive.

Version 1.0.8.0 introduces the following:

• Detail view
• Messages view
• Bug fixes and general improvements

We recommend you check Permia Duels out, especially since it's free (in-app purchases) and battles can be quick making it perfect for those who have a few minutes to spare.

• Permia Duels (69 MB - free)

​Odds and ends

Not only have we received tips and notifications on the above apps and games receiving updates, but also the below listings too. Check out to see if your favorites have been bumped to new versions.

• QONQR (version 1.21.5184.3864)
• didlr (version 1.3.6.5)
• myAppFree (version 1.9.0.0)
• Nokia treasure Tag (version 1.2.1.6)
• Nokia Audio (version 2.1.1.1) - Gains support for external speakers, still no Bluetooth
• Subway Surfers (version 1.20.1.0)
• UC Browser (version 3.4.1.407)