Last fall, I had the pleasure of traveling to Casual Connect USA and interviewing Polish game developer Artifex Mundi. They announced three upcoming games to us during the event: Nightmares from the Deep: The Siren’s Call, Deadlings, and Enigmatis: The Mists of Ravenwood. Siren’s Call came out in November, followed by Deadlings in February, leaving only Mists of Ravenwood unreleased.

At last Enigmatis: Mists of Ravenwood has launched on Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 and RT – before Android and iOS! The sequel to Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek, Mists is a mystery and horror-based Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game (HOPA). And like all Artifex Mundi games, it’s available at a special discounted launch price for a limited time only.

Follow that bird

In the Ghosts of Maple Creek, players controlled a woman who awoke in the empty streets of a town with no memory of how she got there. She eventually recalls her identity as a detective sent to investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl. The culprit - a demonic preacher – manages to elude her as the story ends.

The preacher is back in Mists of Ravenwood. Our detective heroine once again sets out to hunt him down, following a trail of disappearances to the rural area called Ravenwood. There she encounters a gigantic black bird (who is probably not made of wood) and a frightened young girl whose parents were seemingly stolen by the beast. And thus another dark mystery begins…

Search for clues

As a HOPA game, players will move from scene to scene looking for clues and items that will aid them in their investigation. Each of the 55 hand-painted scenes is full of gorgeous detail and vivid colors. They even feature lots of animations like ambient wildlife that keep them from feeling too static.

As you investigate the mysterious Ravenwood Park, you’ll encounter numerous puzzles and 25 minigames. Some of the items our heroine finds get marked as evidence and added to the evidence table. Discover enough clues and you’ll be able to draw conclusions that advance the story. You’ll also earn up to 35 non-Xbox Achievements for your actions.

As our heroine progresses through this tale of mystery, she’ll encounter 19 hidden object scenes. These scenes are more complex and involved than in many HOPA titles. You’ll have to interact with objects multiple times, combining and fiddling with them as you find new tools scattered throughout the scene. The addition of mild puzzle elements give these scenes a unique flavor.

An expansive adventure

Mists of Ravenwood contains all of the bonus content found in the Collector’s Edition game on PC. The star element is a bonus adventure, something Artifex Mundi likes to throw into their games. Other bonuses include an Encyclopedia that tracks the game’s lore,

Enigmatis: The Mists of Ravenwood is an another engaging adventure game from Artifex Mundi. The production values are right up there with the Nightmares from the Deep series, which is to say fairly high for the genre. The developer has done a good job in making this sequel accessible to new players, too. There are ties to the first game but you can still jump right in without feeling lost.

Enigmatis is free to download, but you can only go so far before you’re asked to purchase the full game. Think of it as a demo. The full unlock costs $2.99 right now on Windows Phone and $4.99 on Windows 8. Get it now before the price goes up in a few weeks.

• Enigmatis: The Mists of Ravenwood – Windows Phone 8 – 312 MB – $2.99 (sale price) – Store Link
• Enigmatis: The Mists of Ravenwood – Windows 8 and RT – 692 MB – $4.99 (sale price) – Store Link

Universal game purchases have long been one of the most requested features from avid Windows Phone gamers, right behind SD card support (at last!) and more Xbox games (no luck yet). Already popular on iOS, the universal app concept allows users to buy a game or app once and then play it on both Windows Phone and Windows 8 and RT.

Yesterday Microsoft and 343’s Halo: Spartan Assault officially became the first universal app on Windows Phone and Windows 8. It turns out that several more Windows Phone/Windows 8 Xbox games also went universal alongside Halo. Most are technically free and thus the universal label is more symbolic than anything. But another paid game is now universal as well: Skulls of the Shogun from 17-BIT. Head past the break for more details and word on which mobile Xbox games still need to go universal!

Skulls of the Shogun

Skulls originally launched on Windows Phone, Windows 8/RT, and Xbox 360 as three separate purchases. Gamers who wanted to play it on all three platforms had to shell out a whopping $30 in total for the privilege. The price of each version dropped over time however, with the total cost of all three versions ringing up at $20 just prior to yesterday’s universal app switch.

Great as the universal app concept is for consumers, it’s still not supported by the Xbox 360 and Xbox One ecosystems. Thus buying the universal version of Skulls of the Shogun only gets you the Windows Phone and Windows 8/RT game, not the Xbox 360 version. Nor does a purchase of Spartan Assault on phone and tablet include access to that game’s Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions. Still, the switch to universal app status for Skulls means players can buy the mobile version and the 360 one for $15 total now, assuming they want that console access.

Skulls of the Shogun is a turn-based strategy game set in a fantasy version of medieval Japan. The story-base single-player campaign spans 20 stages and offers multiple difficulty levels. The campaign’s writing is some of the best you’ll find in a strategy title, mobile or otherwise. Expect plenty of twists and humor in the tale of an undead general’s journey to find his own killer.

Strategy games usually excel in multiplayer though, and Skulls is no different. All three versions support asynchronous competitive multiplayer in the “Skulls Anywhere” mode. Even better, Windows Phone, 8/RT, and Xbox 360 can all play against each other! Skulls Anywhere games support up to four players and are tons of fun… But it’s too easy to forget when you have a turn due to the phone game’s lack of Live tile support.

Check out our full review for lots more Skulls of the Shogun gameplay and cross-platform details!

Get the game

Implementation of universal app purchases in the Windows ecosystem is still awkward at the moment. According to reader reports, users must be running Windows Phone 8.1 and then purchase the Windows 8 version of the game first. After that, you should be able to download the phone game from your Windows Phone 8.1 device without having to repurchase it. Hopefully the Windows 8 Store gets updated soon to allow purchases in the reverse order as well!

• Skulls of the Shogun – Windows Phone 7 and 8 – 57 MB – $4.99 (universal) – Store Link
• Skulls of the Shogun – Windows 8 and RT – 136 MB – $4.99 (universal) – Store Link
• Skulls of the Shogun – Xbox 360 – 207 MB – $4.99 (not universal) – Xbox.com Store Link

More universal games and games that should be

Wordament

Along with Halo: Spartan Assault and Skulls of the Shogun, a few other Microsoft-published Xbox Windows Phone/Windows 8 games are now universal apps as well. You can identify a universal app by the “Made for Windows Phones and Windows PCs” text displayed on its Store page.

• Hexic
• Microsoft Mahjong
• Microsoft Minesweeper
• Microsoft Solitaire Collection
• Wordament

Several more Xbox games could benefit from the universal app treatment. Here are a few we’d like to see:

• AlphaJax (free already)
• Angry Birds series
• Asphalt 7
• Babel Rising 3D
• Bejeweled Live
• Cut the Rope
• FIFA 14
• Fragger
• Fruit Ninja
• iStunt 2
• Jetpack Joyride
• Kingdoms & Lords (free already)
• Monster Island
• Rabbids Big Bang
• Rayman Jungle Run
• Rayman Fiesta Run
• Shark Dash
• Shuffle Party (free already)
• Six-Guns (free already)
• Throne Together (free already)
• UNO & Friends (free already)

The switch from two separate purchases to universal status would require action from those games’ various publishers: Electronic Arts, Gameloft, Halfbrick, Miniclip, Rovio, Ubisoft, and (in a few cases) Microsoft. I doubt most of them will choose to change payment models, but you never know!

Galactic Reign

Note that poor Galactic Reign was conceived as a universal game prior to its delisting. Players could purchase one version and play the other. But the Windows Stores didn’t recognize it as a universal purchase, and you couldn’t earn Achievements in the version you didn’t know. But now Galactic Reign is gone, a failed experiment from some tiny part of Microsoft Studios that was truly ahead of its time.

One of the more popular endless running games out there, Subway Surfers, has had a big update in time for Easter. Players can now run through the subways of Rome, and access a new local racer, Roberto. There are also weekly egg hunts with unique rewards, plus a new unlockable costume for Zoe and a new Kick-off board to earn. To top things off, there’s a fresh series of Spray Can Awards for rising to particularly tricky challenges.

Subway Surfers has had a wide range of new locales added to their roster recently, with new racers to go along with each release, and it’s great to get one more. For those that aren’t familiar, Subway Surfers has players running from the law as some troublesome kid. Swipe left, right, up and down to avoid obstacles and collect coins along the way, but things get pretty tricky the longer you go.

Subway Surfers remains a hugely popular runner, and is worth a gander if you haven’t given it a shot already. How many of you guys play it? What’s your high score?

• Download Subway Surfers (version 1.22, 30MB — free)

Nokia has been known to run various gaming promotions since it came to Windows Phone a couple of years ago. Most obviously they sponsored the production of more than 20 Xbox Windows Phone games; titles that we probably would never have gotten otherwise. There was also a brief period last year in which a non-Xbox version of Sonic CD became available for Lumia owners. We never found out why the giveaway game lacked its Xbox features, nor would Nokia comment on it.

Fourteen months later, it looks like Nokia has a new promotion going on. Owners of some very specific handsets (Nokia Lumia 625, 1020, 1320, Icon, and 1520) can get free versions of nine games from mega-publisher Gameloft! These aren’t stripped down versions, either. They’re the full Xbox titles with working Achievements, albeit with different Store pages than the general versions. Head past the link for more details on how to find the free games!

Eligible phones

The free Gameloft games are only available to download from specific Lumia devices. If you own a Lumia but it’s not on this list, you won’t be able to grab the games without paying.

• Nokia Lumia 625
• Nokia Lumia 1020
• Nokia Lumia 1320
• Nokia Lumia Icon
• Nokia Lumia 1520

Giveaway Games

Nokia is giving away free versions of the following titles. To find the free versions, just search for them (or Gameloft) from your phone’s Store. You have to scroll down PAST the paid versions a little in order to see the free versions. They don’t appear in the Nokia Collection, in case you were wondering.

• Asphalt 7: Heat– Launched at 99 cents, but now regularly sells for $4.99.
• Assassin’s Creed: Altair’s Chronicles– Launched at $6.99, but now regularly sells for $4.99.
• Brain Challenge– Regularly an insane $4.99. Free might still be too expensive for this one.
• Earthworm Jim– Launched at $4.99 but dropped to 99 cents.
• Let’s Golf 2– Regularly $4.99.
• Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour– Regularly $6.99. Modern Combat 4, N.O.V.A. 3, and Order & Chaos don't run on the Lumia 625 since it only has 512 MB of RAM.
• N.O.V.A. 3– Regularly $6.99.
• Order & Chaos Online– Regularly $6.99. Amusingly/annoyingly, this particular game doesn’t run properly on the Lumia 1520, one of the phones it’s being given away on. The inventory graphics glitch severely, making the game all but unplayable.
• Shark Dash– Regularly 99 cents.

We don’t know how long Nokia will be giving these games away. Nokia hasn’t blogged about it on their Nokia Conversations website or elsewhere. So if the free versions are available on your phone, get them while the getting is good! Note that some users (including me) are experiencing trouble accessing the Store from their phones at all. Microsoft is already at work trying to fix it. Hopefully the Store gets straightened out well before the promotion ends.

Thanks to Mark “Tipsy” Tepper for the tip!

It’s a light week for Xbox console game releases, with the only new retail title being FIFA 14 World Cup Brazil on Xbox 360. Not too exciting unless you’re a diehard football/soccer fan and buy more than one FIFA per year. But that doesn’t mean Xbox One and 360 gamers don’t have other new stuff to play…

The highly anticipated latest entry in Ubisoft and RedLynx’s Trials series, Trials Fusion has just arrived on both Xbox consoles as a downloadable title. Fans of Trials’ obstacle courses and super hard gameplay will lose many hours to Fusion. Meanwhile, PopCap and EA’s Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare has just received another free update and new Achievements on both consoles! Details after the break.

Trials Fusion

Trials combines motorcycle racing with platforming. Ostensibly you’re driving down a series of obstacle courses, but those courses also happen to have insane leaps and all manner of pitfalls to test players’ skills. The Trials series is all about trial-and-error, repeating super difficult courses until you finally survive them.

New to Trials Fusion are tricks that riders can perform in order to give their runs more flair. No longer do you need to just soar through the air after jumping off a ramp – liven it up with some moves! Tricks don’t provide any rewards during normal courses, but special trick courses encourage players to experiment with tricks to their hearts’ content.

Besides the usual array of dozens of courses (each with three optional goals now), Fusion also includes an all-new track editor. I hear the editor isn’t very user-friendly. Hopefully a knowledge base will build up over time that players can use to learn its intricacies.

Trials Fusion runs at 900p resolution and 60 frames per second on Xbox One. Slightly below the Playstation 4 version’s 1080 resolution, but at least it maintains a perfectly smooth frame rate.

• Trials Fusion – Xbox One – 5 GB – $19.99 – Xbox.com Store Link
• Trials Fusion – Xbox 360 – 1.52 GB – $19.99 – Xbox.com Store Link

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare

PopCap has committed to providing a steady stream of free content for Garden Warfare, and so far they’ve really delivered. Last month we got a new game type and map in the “Garden Variety Pack.” This week, the “Zomboss Down” DLC brings even more new content to the game. The update clocks in at a whopping 2.8 GB on 360, where it’s a separate download. The Xbox One version should simply update automatically.

New features:

• Added new map Cactus Canyon (Gardens & Graveyards) – w/ cool Golf Bomb minigame at the end.
• New card pack added to sticker shop “Zomboss Down” – This is the only place to collect the new Zomboss Down characters and customization.
• 8 new playable characters to collect.
• 200+ new customization items added.
• 3 new consumable plants (Bamboo Shoot, Fire Peashooter, and Ice Peashooter).
• Now able to view party member locations during gameplay via a different colored Gamertag being shown over their character.
• Added 10 new Achievements worth 250 GamerScore.
• Character level cap increased from 20 to 30, with new star challenges to complete.
• Players can now communicate with all other players in End of Round Screens
• Added a ‘Mute All’ button to leaderboard on Xbox One – This function appears when you enter the leaderboard and highlight another user.
• Numerous balance changes and optimizations

Garden Warfare is one of the best team-based shooters around. Seriously, a lot of gamers prefer it to Titanfall. With bright and colorful graphics, the trademark Plants vs. Zombies sense of humor, tons of unique character classes, 12-versus-12 online battles, and the promise of more free DLC to come, shooter fans can’t lose with Garden Warfare.

• Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare – Xbox One – 10.1 GB - $39.99 – Amazon Link– Xbox.com Link
• Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare – Xbox 360 – 2.43 GB - $29.99 – Amazon Link– Xbox.com Link

Shoot Em All is an arcade styled game for Windows Phone where you have to rescue your partner from the bad guys. The game is basically a sniper game that plays like a Hogan’s Alley game, except the targets shoot back.

You are tasked with seeking out the bad guys as they come out of hiding and take them out before they lock on to your position and ruin your day. Shoot Em All has a slight retro arcade feel to it, decent graphics and the need for a quick and steady aim.

Shoot Em All Layout

The main menu for Shoot Em All offers options to start a game, continue an existing game, access the settings, view your high scores (local only) and view the game’s credits. Shoot Em All’s settings are limited to turning on or off the game’s music and sound effects. You will also find options for an in-app purchase ($1.29) to remove the ad-support and rate the game in the Windows Phone Store.

When you start a game of Shoot Em All, an instructional screen will appear as the game loads. You will have a series of bad guys appear from their hiding spots and you only have a few seconds to find them and shoot them. When the timer hits zero, they shoot  you.

Shoot Em All’s game play is spread out across multiple levels and five scenes. As far as the gaming screen layout is concerned, aiming controls are located at the bottom left corner of the screen and your fire button sits in the bottom right corner. Your vital statistics run across the top of the screen and include your lives, score, level, targets remaining and a targeting radar.

Game Play

Game play is simple. You will have to find a set number of targets and take them out. Once you do, you will advance to the next level where game play gets a little more challenging as you move through the levels.

The challenge comes into play with the targets ability to blend in with the environment (harder to find) and a time limit to find and shoot them. To help you locate a target, a small targeting radar is positioned in the right corner of the statistics bar. The general direction of the target will be highlighted in red and the time needed to locate and shoot the target appears in the center of the radar.

Shoot Em All's game play affords you twenty chances/lives with each bad guy shooting you costing you a life. You do have a shield available that you can use to protect yourself should you have difficulty lining up the shot. As you see the timer approach zero, tap the shield icon (just below the targeting radar) and a Captain America styled shield will appear for a few seconds protecting you from getting shot.

Points are accrued as you take out the enemy with headshots holding a higher point value.

Overall Impression

Shoot Em All isn’t a bad arcade game to help you pass short bits of time with.

Controls are simply laid out, the goal is straightforward and the game has the potential of being a nice time waster. My only complaint would be that the movement controls need a little fine-tuning. The finer movements to line-up your shot were fine but the lengthier moves (spanning the full length of the playing field) seemed to take forever. It's not a terminal issue but you really can't afford to dilly-dally between targets.

The targets can be well hidden and small in size. This adds to the challenge of the game because it can be tough getting everything lined up in your sites. You do have unlimited ammo so if you get close and the time is about to expire, you can always open up in hopes of getting in that lucky shot.

Shoot Em All is a free, ad-supported game that is available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices. You can find Shoot Em All here in the Windows Phone Store.

WMW? XYY is the latest installment with Disney’s Where’s My Water? series of Windows Phone games. WMW? XYY features Chinese TV cartoon character XYY on an epic adventure through China to save his friends trapped in an underground city and defeat the Big Bad Wolf.

The physics game plays much like the previous versions of Where’s My Water? with new fire and oil mechanics. WMW? XYY may have an odd gaming title but it makes a nice first impression.

Game play includes over eighty levels of play with both Weslie the sheep and Wolfie the Big Bad Wolf featured. You route oil, water, fire and other elements through a maze of pipes and obstacles to supply your gaming character.

Along the way there are ancient collectible to discover that will unlock bonus puzzles and a few power-ups to help your character tackle the more difficult levels.

WMW? XYY starts out slow but quickly becomes a challenging game for your Windows Phone 8 gaming library. The most obvious downside to WMW? XYY is the lack of a trial version.

The full version is currently running $.99 and is available for all Windows Phone 8 devices. You can find your copy of WMW? XYY here in the Windows Phone Store. There is also a Windows 8 version of WMW? XYY that is running $4.99 (no trial version either). You can find the Windows 8 version of WMW? XYY here in the Windows Store.

Thanks, Mohamed, for the tip!

Windows Phone Central Game Roundup: Star Wars

There is little argument that the Star Wars franchise has had its fair share of success. From the movies to action figures to video games the Star Wars logo always seems to draw a crowd. I can remember watching the first installment, Episode IV: A New Hope, countless times in theaters and being amazed at the special effects (that seem to pale in comparison with what we have today).

This week we’re taking an easy approach to the roundup, focusing on the top Star Wars games (and a few apps) that are available for the Windows Phone platform. While Star Wars is a popular genre, its presence in the Windows Phone Store is a little on the thin side. There are some entertaining and challenging Star Wars games but some rather obvious omissions. Hopefully that will change.

Star Wars: Assault Team (free)

Star Wars: Assault Team is the new kid on the block as far as Star Wars Windows Phone games are concerned. The game is a first person styled action game where you control a group of legendary and not-so legendary Star Wars characters through various missions. Characters include Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, and even Boba Fett.

Star Wars: Assault Team begins with you working your way through an Imperial Destroyer, the Devastator. Additional mission scenarios include searching for the Wookie resistance, surviving the streets of Mos Espa, raiding the palace at Coruscant and more.

Game play does take a little time to get used to with movement already mapped out for you. The challenge comes with your battle strategy, building a diverse assault team and keeping your characters upgraded. Combat sequences are turn based and can be a little on the slow side. Luckily, you can go into the settings and increase the battle speed.

Star Wars: Assault Team also has a Battle Arena where you can play head to head against other players for extra loot and a small collection of special missions just in case you need a break from the main storyline.

The more I play Star Wars: Assault Team the more the game grows on me. Graphics are well drawn up and the only downside to things is that you cannot save game play during a mission.

Star Wars: Assault Team is a free, ad-supported game that is available for Windows Phone 8 (not available for low-memory devices). You can find your copy of Star Wars: Assault Team here in the Windows Phone Store. If you prefer game play from a larger screen, you can find the Windows 8 version of Star Wars: Assault Team here in the Windows Store (free).

Angry Birds Star Wars II (trial/$.99)

The Angry Birds series of Windows Phone games are entertaining, dare I say addictive gaming titles. The series includes two Star Wars themed games and it was tough to choose one over the other. The original Angry Birds Star Wars is an equally entertaining game but I went with the sequel for this week’s roundup.

Angry Birds Star Wars II is based on the prequel movies and allows you to play the game from not only the Angry Birds point of view but also from the Pigs perspective. The characters include Darth Maul, Yoda, Anakin Skywalker, Jar Jar Binks, Count Dooku and more.

The game spans three worlds that include Naboo and Tatooine with over 120 levels of game play. You also have a Reward Chapter with bonus levels, a Game Store where you can purchase boosts and new characters with the loot you earn during game play. Speaking of which, game play is along the lines of your traditional Angry Birds styled game. Except your birds and pigs have special abilities similar to the characters they portray. For example, Darth Maul slices through things with his double light saber while Lando blasts his way through things.

Angry Birds Star Wars II is very appealing from the graphic quality to challenging game play. The Windows Phone 8 game (available for low-memory devices) does have a free trial version with the full version running $.99. You can find your copy of Angry Birds Star Wars II here in the Windows Phone Store.

Star Wars: Tiny Death Star (free)

If you are yearning to know what it is like to manage a Death Star, do we have a game for you. Star Wars: Tiny Death Star has you tasked with building and managing your own Death Star.

Your missions range from making sure the living quarters are occupied, the shops are productive, expanding the facility itself and most importantly, making the Emperor happy. The ultimate goal is to earn money to fund the Empire’s evil schemes and defeat those pesky Rebels.

Game play can be rather time consuming but Star Wars: Tiny Death Star remembers where you left off should you have to abruptly put the game away. The game does have an addictive quality, graphics well done and you will find yourself with your hands full at times making sure all the Death Star tasks are being taken care of.

While Star Wars: Tiny Death Star lacks the action of Star Wars: Assault Team or Angry Birds Star Wars, it still is a worth representative of the Star Wars gaming family. It is a free game that is available for Windows Phone 8 devices (including those low-memory devices) and you can find Star Wars: Tiny Death Star here in the Windows Phone Store. There is also a Windows 8 version available here in the Windows Store (free as well). Keep in mind that a recent update to Tiny Death Star lets you save your game across devices.

Lightsaber (free)

You can’t very well have a Star Wars roundup without a light saber app. While there are plenty to choose from, we tapped Lightsaber because of its selection of sabers and the Windows Store icon looked cool.

The app includes five light sabers from key Star Wars characters (many of which come from the animated series) that include Yoda, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka Tano, MaceWindu and Darth Vader.

Once you have selected your light saber there is a button at the bottom of the screen to ignite it. As you move your Windows Phone around, sound effects will be generated to mimic waving the light saber around. The app also uses vibration controls to give the app a better feel.

While Lightsaber is a nice Star Wars app, I would have preferred activating the light saber by tapping on the screen and the ad banners do get in the way just a little. Still, it is a nice rendition of one of the coolest weapons in the Galaxy.

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

The Force is strong with this one...

If you are a Star Wars fan, all of the titles in this week’s roundup are entertaining, challenging, well drawn-up choices for your Windows Phone library. In a manner of speaking, the Force runs strong with this group.

I’m partial to the Angry Birds Star Wars installments. Game play is simple to pick up but there are plenty of challenging levels to keep the entertainment level up. Angry Birds is one of those games that can help you pass short bits of time or fill the need for longer gaming sessions. Add the Star Wars angle with Angry Birds Star Wars II and the game can be rather addictive. For me, it's just neat to see all the Star Wars characters transformed into birds and pigs.

Star Wars Tiny Death Star can be a time consuming gaming title. The game is played on so many fronts that at first it can be a little overwhelming. From making sure tenants are happy, stores are productive, the elevator is operational and most importantly the Emperor is happy game play definitely keeps you busy. Not everyone is a fan of time management styled games but if you are, Tiny Death Star should make your short list.

Star Wars: Assault Team grows on you but the pace of the game can be a little on the tiresome side. You can pick up the pace through the settings and minimize the time it takes to complete the turn-based combat. I would have rather seen the game concept drawn up more as a first person shooter game instead of the turn based strategy game. Nonetheless, Star Wars: Assault Team represents well.

No doubt about it, Lightsaber is a novelty app for our Windows Phone. It won't turn your Windows Phone into a metal slicing, light saber but it is drawn up nicely. Plus there is just something about having the light saber sound effect whizzing around as you wave your Windows Phone around.

Along with these four titles, here are just a few additional Star Wars themed apps that may be of interest.

Star Wars (free): A collection of 71 background images and over 150 audio clips from your favorite Star Wars characters. (Store Link)

Star Wars Almanac (free): Just about everything you need to know about the Star Wars series from character bios, vehicle specs, planet information, and key elements of the Jedi and Sith factions. (Store Link)

SW-Yoda (free): This is a collection of 20 sound bites from the tiniest of Jedi Masters. SW-Yoda is part of a series of apps from EngiMan that highlights sound bites from key Star Wars characters. (Store Link)

While there is a small selection of Star Wars themed games and apps on the Windows Phone Store shelves, some titles are missing. Such as Star Wars Legos or the Knights of the Old Republic. Hopefully one day, we will see these titles make their way to the Windows Phone Store.

If we’ve overlooked your favorite Star Wars game or app, feel free to sound off below in the comments. Also, if you have a Star Wars game or app that you would like see come to the Windows Phone Store, let us know that as well.

Take a break from playing with all the new features of Windows Phone 8.1 and play some actual games. If you’re into racing games, it may be worthwhile to check out Uber Racer. The game has been available for iOS for a while, but now Windows Phone users can play it too. It’s not related to the popular car booking service, in case you were wondering.

Head past the break to watch our gameplay video.

The game is set in the future where mankind is burning its final resources. A few fearless warriors race for the last drops of oil.

Here are some of the features:

• 10 unique environments.
• Highly detailed graphics without repeating textures (i. e. every rock is painted differently).
• Career mode with 31 race days, some of them featuring up to 10 events. Several hours of playtime.
• 3D menu, completely integrated.
• Realtime shadows
• 4 race modes: Time Trial, Elimination, 1 Vs 1, Race.
• Thumb tracking: Don't care about hitting the gas pedal. It's wherever your thumb is.
• Select your favorite camera: Third person, hood or bumper.
• 3D sound with stereo output and positional audio
• Realistic motor sound, engine simulation, backfire
• 3D car physics with suspension, damping and drifting
• 15 cars individually upgradable. Ranging from buggies to race cars and trucks.
• Damage model based on real impact damage, flapping doors, loose hinges

Tilting your phone left or right does steering. Accelerate with your right thumb. Avoid turning sharply because it slows you down. To win the races, make smooth turns, avoid collisions, and look for shortcuts. If you think you see a shortcut, it probably is a shortcut.

The other racers like bumping into others, and if you get bumped, your car usually goes out of control. It’s hard to catch up after that.

Uber Racer’s season mode provides plenty of gameplay hours, but it will feel repetitive. Race, win points, update car, then repeat. Uber Racer is available at the Windows Phone Store for $1.29. There’s no free trial in this initial version. Check it out and let us know what you think!

To celebrate the Easter holidays, EA has launched a Spring Sale on the Windows Phone Store. Twelve highly rated games are available with discounts included, perfect for consumers who are looking to stock up on games this weekend and beef out their Games Hub on Windows Phone 8.1. Pass the break for details and store links.

FIFA 14

FIFA 14 is a top sport game for Windows Phone. Matching the intense play found on consoles, enhanced for mobile play, players are tasked with taking their favorite (or not so) teams to greatness with countless victories under their belt. There's 34 leagues to choose from with over 600 fully licensed teams. The game itself is free to download, but there are in-app purchases available.

• Download FIFA 14 (1GB or higher – 888MB – free) / 50% off Jumbo Gold Pack via in-app purchase

Plants vs. Zombies

The super-popular defence title that started everything off in the garden and eventually brought us PVZ: Modern Warfare on the consoles. Plants vs. Zombies for Windows Phone tasks players with protecting the front lawn and the door to their house with an array of plants ready for battle. Numerous zombies are on the way, are you ready to bolster the defences?

• Download Plants vs. Zombies (82MB – $2.99, usually $4.99)

The Sims 3

If you've been searching for a real life simulator, look no further than The Sims 3 for Windows Phone. Players create and customize a Sim and then try to complete various goals with him or her, such as getting a promotion at work and kissing another Sim. It's a brilliant series on PC and consoles, but we've previously noted how the Windows Phone version doesn’t quite match up.

Still, more than worth the purchase at this price and the game will surely suck some hours from your day.

• Download The Sims 3 (112MB – $3.99, usually $6.99)

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

EA has managed to make Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit one of those games that you simply cannot cease playing, but hate to play at the same time. It's a great racing title for anyone to enjoy with awesome visuals and the like. But the positives halt there as grinding comes into play, alongside some serious loading times and more. That said, it's worth checking out if you're desperate for a decent racing title.

• Download Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (113MB – $2.99, usually $4.99)

Trivial Pursuit

When you're not seeking a thumbs workout with EA's racing titles, there's always Trivial Pursuit to chill out to and test your knowledge. In this popular game you roll the dice and move playing pieces around the playing board. The colored squares you land on represent a trivia category you will have to answer a question on. Sounds simple enough but these questions can be a nightmare.

Download Trivial Pursuit (28MB – $1.99, usually $2.99)

The Game of Life

The Game of Life brings the popular board game to your phone. As the name suggests, 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. Think of this as a board game version of The Sims.

• Download The Game of Life (23MB – $1.99, usually $2.99)

iBomber Defense

It's not often when we call out games and recommend everyone to avoid them, but iBomber Defense is the exception. It's a buggy experience that should be left well alone, unless you're seeking a World War themed tower defence game, of course. While this port is on sale, we urge you all to reconsider hitting that download link.

• Download iBomber Defense (71MB – $1.99, usually $2.99)

Flight Control Rocket

You’ve all probably played the original Flight Control, but have you checked out the superior sequel? Flight Control Rocket switches things to a retro sci-fi setting in which players must help incoming rockets land on a space-faring mothership safely. You do this by drawing paths from each ship to the appropriate runway, all while trying to avoid collisions. It's a highly addictive, yet challenging game.

• Download Flight Control Rocket (41MB – $1.99, usually $2.99)

Blobster

Blobster is an interesting game available on the Windows Phone platform. It's not the best title on offer as the backgrounds are completely flat and the rest of the visuals lack flair as well. But the Achievements are pretty quick and easy, thus Blobster is well worth picking up if you happen to be an achievement hunter.

• Download Blobster (13MB – $1.99, usually $2.99)

Jet Set Go

If you've been meaning to play Sally's Salon, but haven't due to feeling awkward with the feminine theme, Jet Set Go is right up your runway. It's a time management game that looks quite a lot like Sally’s Salon, but instead of running a salon or a day spa, the game puts players in charge of a travel agency. Players are tasked with tending to the various customers involves a variety of light travel-themed minigames like choosing destinations, hotels, itineraries, and more.

• Download Jet Set Go (40MB – $1.99, usually $2.99)

RISK

This is a major adaptation of the popular board game RISK. The aim of the game is to defeat other players by breaking through enemy strongholds with brute force and the luck of the dice. It requires a strategic and cunning mind to effectively manage troops on the battlefield and protect those vulnerable flanks. Highly recommended.

• Download RISK (19MB – $1.99, usually $2.99)

Tetris Blitz

Tetris is an old house favourite when it comes to puzzle games and the Windows Phone version is no different, which has now joined the other EA titles in this Spring Sale. There's not a whole lot to say about Tetris Blitz except you should go and download it right now.

• Download Tetris Blitz (47MB – free) / 50% more coins on all coin packs via in-app purchase

Source: Windows Phone Blog; thanks to everyone who tipped us!

In Windows Phone 8.1, the Xbox Games Hub is now a separate app that can be updated independently from the OS itself. It can’t be uninstalled, but the freedom to update separately should allow Microsoft to make changes to the app much more quickly than before. In fact, the app received its first update earlier today.

Like many aspects of the Windows Phone 8.1 update, the Xbox Games app builds on the established pre-8.1 design and makes a few changes as well. Not all of these changes are for the better, and in some ways the app is a clear step back. Luckily there will surely be more updates to follow. Read on to learn about the major changes in the Windows Phone 8.1 Xbox Games app and the new way the OS lists the games you’ve installed.

The Games List

Traditionally, the Xbox Games hub has been the one and only place from which to launch Windows Phone games. That has changed in Windows Phone 8.1, as games now appear in the phone’s Apps list as well as the Xbox Games app. The dual listing seems to be a result of Microsoft wanting to make games available even if the app should ever be uninstalled (which it can’t be) or become unusable as a result of a bad update.

Some users find it irritating that games now clog up their apps lists, particularly avid gamers with lots of installed games. I don’t blame them; unceremoniously dumping games in with the apps seems like an accident as opposed to a deliberate decision on Microsoft’s part.  Although app browsing is less pleasant in Windows Phone 8.1, you can still access the apps you want easily enough by jumping to specific letters in the list or using Windows Phone 8.1’s expanded search functions.

The actual games list still exists in the Xbox Games app as the ‘Collection’ page. And you won’t find all of your apps mixed in with the last, thank goodness. The list consists of two primary sections: ‘Xbox’ and ‘Other.’ Annoyingly, games can no longer be uninstalled from the 'Collection' page. You have to exit and do it from the Apps page.

At the bottom under ‘More,’ you’ll find a link to the Games store. The link jumps directly to the ‘Top Free’ section of the Games Store.

Inexplicably missing from the ‘Collection’ page is the ‘Recent’ category. Prior to Windows Phone 8.1, you’d find your three most recently played games there. It provided a convenient way to jump back and forth between your favorite games of the moment without having to pin their tiles to the Start screen. Taking away the Recent list is one of those “one step forward, two steps back things” that we’ve seen Microsoft do with things like Xbox Music (and even Windows 8, many would say) in the past. Let’s hope the feature returns soon.

Social Page

The Social page is the one part of the Xbox Games app that actually shows a clear improvement. You’ll still see your Xbox avatar goofing around, though I notice mine is badly in need of anti-aliasing.

To the left of the avatar are now four navigation tiles instead of two:

• Achievements
• Profile
• Messages
• Friends

The old equivalent of the Social page didn’t have a name. Its navigation icons led directly to Achievements and the avatar editor (which requires installation of the Xbox Live Extras app). From the Achievements page you could swipe over to the Profile page. To view your messages and friends, you had to swipe right from the “Profile” page and select the Friends tile.

Under the new app, users can swipe back and forth between the Achievements and Profile pages or the Messages and Friends pages. The sub-pages are still connected in the same way as before, but jumping directly to the page you want is much easier thanks to all four tiles being grouped together logically under Social.

The actual Profile page has one significant different in Windows Phone 8.1: the option to set Beacons in Xbox 360 games is gone. Beacons are a seldom-used feature that allows players to announce their desire for multiplayer partners in an individual game. The concept of asking people to join you in a game is good, but the actual implementation proved mostly useless. I doubt anybody will miss Beacon support in the Xbox Games app, especially since Xbox One doesn’t support Beacons.

The avatar editor was located in two different places prior to Windows Phone 8.1: the “Social” page and the Profile page. With the new Xbox games app, you’ll only find the editor under ‘Profile.” A reasonable change, especially since most users probably don’t change their avatars all that frequently. The avatar editor is still a separate download, and it still doesn’t take advantage of the full Windows Phone screen for some reason.

Notifications and Spotlight

The ‘Notifications’ page and ‘Spotlight’ page remain unchanged in Windows Phone 8.1. Under ‘Notifications’ you’ll find a mixture of Xbox live messages and Windows Phone game invites, all represented as Live tiles. ‘Spotlight’ displays the latest Xbox Red Stripe Deal and other Xbox Windows Phone game advertisements.

Performance and other issues

We’ve already listed the loss of the ‘Recent’ games list and the inability to delete games from the 'Collections' page, but those are not the only problems with the Xbox Games app in Windows Phone 8.1.

The most obvious issue for Xbox One owners is the lack of support for Xbox One Achievements. You still can’t view Achievements earned in Xbox One games through the native Achievement viewer, which is as just ridiculous in Windows Phone 8.1 as it was before the update. The only way to view them on your phone is by using the Xbox One SmartGlass or TrueAchiever apps.

A problem with the Xbox Games app that affects everybody is its performance. Since Windows Phone 8.1 launched and even after the recent Xbox Games app update, the app has been extremely slow to load. Users face a several seconds-long delay every time they launch or resume the app during which time images will slowly load and the Search button can’t be used. I’m sure the loading will be fixed eventually, but it’s a nuisance right now.

Also gone from the Xbox Games app are the link to Xbox SmartGlass and the Games Settings. The former is no real loss. But I can’t find any way to access Games Settings now. Unless that page still exists somewhere, Windows Phone 8.1 users have no way to universally disable toast notifications from games.

Other gaming improvements

Windows Phone 8.1 introduces some major improvements to the gaming experience, namely separate volume controls and the ability to install games and apps on SD cards. The independent volume controls allow gamers to turn down a game’s sound without affecting ringer volume. Every other mobile OS (including Windows Mobile) has long had that ability, so it’s fantastic that Windows Phone users now get the same benefit.

As for SD card support, the benefit is clear. Prior to Windows Phone 8.1, if your phone’s internal storage filled up you would have to delete games or apps in order to create room for new games. Doing so would permanently delete your save files in those games that didn’t support cloud saves. Now many of us can just invest in SD cards and store games there with no loss of save data. Not every Windows Phone device supports SD cards. But going forward, avid gamers can take SD support into account when choosing a phone to buy.

The Xbox Games app is not quite as good as the pre-8.1 Xbox Games hub. Nor does it make much sense to list games in with apps without a way to filter out those games. But the Xbox Games app is just that – a separate app. And that means Microsoft will surely continue to refine and improve it in the future. Although many of us are running the Windows Phone 8.1 developer preview, the general release of Windows Phone 8.1 is still a ways off. Hopefully the app will be up to previous standards by then, if not even better.

Cat Story is an odd little Windows Phone 8 game that sends you to an imaginary world filled with a wide range of interesting characters you must help build a new life. Game play is a mixture of time management, puzzle and scavenger hunt styles.

The cast of characters in Cat Story have been shipwrecked on an uncharted island and a collection of quests to find all the survivors along with building a new community awaits. Cat Story is a well animated Windows Phone 8 with plenty of puzzling missions to tackle. The only concern is that game flow structure is a little loose and you often find yourself going with the flow.

Cat Story Layout

Cat Story lacks a main menu and from the opening screen credits that appear as the game loads, you jump right into game play.

The gaming screen has your vital statistics lining up across the top of the screen (experience level, gold count, crystal count, food count) and various gaming controls spaced out along the sides and bottom corners of the screen.

As best I can tell the gaming controls are as follows:

• In the bottom right corner you will find controls to view your inventory, sections of the map collected during missions, a button to hide the controls, a button to access the settings, and a mystery button with house on it.
• In the bottom left corner are controls to access the game store, view your achievements, access your building tools (used to construct houses, gardens, fish camps, etc), and two buttons I’ve yet to figure out.
• Along the left side of the screen are icons representing open challenges or missions.
• Along the right side are icons representing special in-app purchase offers that become available for a limited time only.

Game settings cover sound/music on or off, a screen magnification button and a screen capture button.

There isn’t a help section available for Cat Story but the game does a decent job of walking you through game play with a series of dialog screens and pop-up arrows. Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing a reference section that, at the very least, covers the game screen layout.

The game screen is touch navigable and zoomable. I have to admit the game screen does feel cluttered with all the controls present. Luckily you do have the ability to hide the control displays to give the game screen a little more elbow room.

Game Play

Game play has plenty of quests for you to tackle. As you begin the game, you’ll be taken through a series of tutorials to get you accustomed to game play. From there the game is more of casual feel, discovering new quests as your stumble upon them. If you are looking for a structured game where you take on gaming levels in a particular order, Cat Story isn’t for you. While there is some method to the madness, game play has a more “go with the flow” feel.

The objective to Cat Story is to find all your fellow castaways that survived the shipwreck and build a new community to live in. Along the way you’ll meet native inhabitants to the island who will have their own quests for you to take on.

Quests often include multiple challenges and do have plenty of hints (usually in the form of large arrows that appear on the screen) to get you pointed in the right direction. Quest will range from scavenger hunts to building structures. When completed, you’ll earn experience, coins and sometimes crystals. The latter two can be used to buy items from the game’s store.

Along with the quests you will have to maintain a supply of food and building materials. You can collect these items by tapping on berry bushes, trees and large boulders. Some items will have an icon floating overhead illustrating what can be gained. At some point in the game you will build gardens that are a great source of food.

Your food inventory needs to remain moderately high because every task requires food (energy of sorts) to accomplish. For example, it takes one unit of food to cut down a tree.

Often quests require you to build a new structure, be it a thrift shop to sell items you create or a Fisherman’s House to produce fish for the chowder you can cook from the kettle you build. Here is where the game takes on a SIM City feel to it and you’ll need to plan out your building placement carefully or you will run out of room quickly. You may have to clear out trees, boulders and other items to open up enough free space to build on.

Eventually, Cat Story’s quests will have you locating your fellow cats. If you need to see how many friends are still lost, just tap on the sunken ship that sits towards the top of the game map.

Overall Impression

The more I played Cat Story, the more the game grew on me but it took a while to root. Game play does have a Sim City feel to it where you have to build up your island community. Animations and illustrations are well done and the puzzles within the quest can be challenging. You also have a time management aspect to game play to keep your inventory of goods up and production facilities (such as the Fisherman’s House) in operation. There is plenty to keep you busy with Cat Story.

I do wish there was a help or reference section with Cat Story. While there are plenty of pop-up windows and tutorial screens available, a game as involved as Cat Story should have at least a reference section to fall back on.

Speaking of the game’s graphics, I like how the game screen will change with the time of day, various weather conditions and animations from some of the characters when tapped. All these little hidden gems help keep Cat Story from growing old too quickly.

All in all, Cat Story is nice addition to the Windows Phone 8 gaming library and worth a try. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it may surprise you.

Cat Story is a free game that is available for Windows Phone 8 devices (except low-memory devices). You can pick up your copy of Cat Story here in the Windows Phone Store.

Did anything happen this week? Duh, Windows Phone 8.1 came out through the Preview for Developer program on Monday morning. Since then we’ve all been spending so much time with Cortana, Notification Center, Data Sense and much more. You can catch up on everything by checking out our Windows Phone 8.1 review. In the meantime, the Windows Phone Store was still busy with new apps and games. Let’s take a moment to go back and check out the app highlights of the week!

New

PolyScreen– Looking for a new Lock screen or Start background image? Make your own with PolyScreen for Windows Phone. The app creates low-poly images that look fantastic. You control the size and colors of the polygons, the app does the rest. Download PolyScreen from the Windows Phone Store. (Free)

Clock Hub– Our friends rocking HTC handsets are all too familiar with the HTC Hub app that displayed the time via a large Live tile. Now anyone with a Windows Phone 8.1 can get a similar experience thanks to a new app called Clock Hub. Even HTC owners might want to check it out since the HTC Hub has been hit or miss since upgrading to Windows Phone 8.1. Clock Hub will show you the time in either 12-hour or 24-hour time format and update every minute. This is only available for those on Windows Phone 8.1. That you? Then go download Clock Hub from the Windows Phone Store. (Free)

Transparency Tiles– Want to make new translucent Live tiles for Xbox Games, Xbox Video and others apps on Windows Phone 8.1? Then you’re going to need Transparency Tiles. The app allows you to create transparent tiles for your favorite apps that might not support them just yet. Download it from the Windows Phone Store. (Free)

QR for Cortana– This week we all updated to Windows Phone 8.1, but sadly lost the ability to use Bing quickly to scan barcodes and other items. QR for Cortana is an app that gives you a shortcut to that feature you’re probably so familiar with. Download QR for Cortana from the Windows Phone Store.

Update

Today’s Word– Tired of being faster and would rather be smarter? Then you’re going to want to get the app Today’s Word for Windows Phone. It teaches you a new word every day, in the hopes that you become a wordsmith in no time. The new update introduces translucent Live tiles, Lock screen support and much more. Download Today’s Word from the Windows Phone Store. (Free)

Vieather– Want a beautiful translucent Live tile with weather information for your new Windows Phone 8.1 device? Then check out the updated version of Vieather that introduces those transparent tiles. Beautiful weather app with no ads for free? Any day. Download Vieather from the Windows Phone Store. (Free)

Simple Calendar– Noticing a theme? A lot of our favorite apps were quickly updated this week to support translucent Live tiles. Simple Calendar was no exception and the recent update now supports those Live tiles you’re all giddy about. You’ll also find the ability to edit/delte appointments, view private appointment details and much more. Download Simple Calendar in the Windows Phone Store. (Free/In-app purchases)

Games

Bad Piggies– Looking for the next game from mobile game maker Rovio? Bad Piggies is now out for Windows Phone users. You probably missed the announcement since it came out the same morning as Windows Phone 8.1. Bad Piggies is a spin-off game from the Angry Birds universe. You’ll find over 200 levels of vehicular action and puzzles. Download it from the Windows Phone Store. ($0.99)

WMW? XYY– Disney has been putting out games for Windows Phone and Windows 8 like no other. This week we received a new spinoff of their “Where’s my Water” series of games with a popular Chinese TV cartoon character XYY. You’ll be solving puzzles with physics-based gameplay. Download WMW? XY from the Windows Phone Store and Windows Store. ($0.99 for Windows Phone and $4.99 for Windows 8)

Uber Racer– Fans of racing games might want to check out Uber Racer. It’s a popular iOS game that has made its way to Windows Phone this past week. You get 10 unique environments, detailed graphics, 4 racing modes, and much more. Download Uber Racer from the Windows Phone Store. ($1.29)

Have any favorite apps or games from this last week? Sound off below and promote them!

When Windows Phone 8 reared its shiny head back in late 2012, there was much cause for celebration. Although the new OS switched kernels from the one used by Windows Phone 7, it retained the ability to run most pre-Windows Phone 8 apps and games. That said, some very important games did not run on the new OS: more than 20 mobile Xbox Games! Considering how many gamers came to Windows Phone specifically for Xbox Games, those compatibility issues among came as quite a blow.

Microsoft and some of the creators of the affected games worked to restore compatibility where they could. One year after the Windows Phone 8 launch, 12 games gained compatibility or received new compatible versions. 20 games remained incompatible however, including some important titles like Fable Coin Golf and Tentacles. Well, it’s been a long time coming but one more Xbox Game just became available again on Windows Phone 8: The Harvest from Luma Arcade.

Back where it belongs, warts and all

The Harvest is one of those extremely rare things: a high-quality game that is exclusive to Windows Phone, Windows 8, and Steam. Most of the exclusives that anybody cares about eventually became available on iOS or Android, including Wordament, Tentacles, Dodonpachi Maximum, and Kinectimals. But The Harvest hasn't jumped ship yet, and the folks at Luma Arcade apparently never gave up on Windows Phone even after an excessively long period of incompatibility.

Actually, although The Harvest works with Windows Phone 8 again, it still suffers from one little incompatibility issue. The story videos won’t play. After starting a new game, you will receive an error message when the intro video pops up. Don’t fret, though. The message quickly goes away and  you can then proceed to play the game itself; that’s the important part.

Considering that the video playback issue is reportedly the reason that The Harvest was pulled from Windows Phone 8 in the first place and the Store says the game was last updated in 2011, it seems that the only thing that’s changed is someone at Microsoft decided to let Windows Phone 8 players download the game again. Gee, thanks guys! In all seriousness, it’s better to have the game with broken videos than not have the game at all.

Not a farming game

As for The Harvest itself, it’s an action-RPG set in a distant future in which aliens have conquered humanity. Thanks to the development of armored mech suits, the remaining pockets of humans finally have a chance to fight back.

Players can select from three unique mechs (two must be unlocked by beating the game), each with its own stats and abilities. You’ll have to play through the game with all three characters in order to earn the full 200 GamerScore, but that can be done in less than 10 hours – no biggie.

Simply touch anywhere onscreen to move your character and then tap enemies or objects to interact with them. Even though The Harvest was written as a Windows Phone 7 game and thus runs at a 480 x 800 resolution, it still looks quite good even on newer devices like the Lumia 1520. Chalk that up to quality art design and a good 3D engine.

Although The Harvest never left Windows Phone 7, the world has moved on from that OS. Windows Phone 8 (and now Windows Phone 8.1) are the future. It’s great to have The Harvest back, especially for gamers who purchased it prior to switching over to Windows Phone 8 and lost access to their game. Let’s hope it remains available despite the broken video playback! My advice is to buy it while you can, just in case Microsoft changes its mind.

Now if the big MS would just make The Harvest a universal app so we didn’t have to buy it on both Windows Phone and Windows 8…

• The Harvest – Windows Phone 7 and 8 – 86 MB – $6.99 – Store Link
• The Harvest – Windows 8 and RT – 213 MB – $6.99 – Store Link

Thanks to @opticon9 for the tip!

There isn’t much to the Windows Phone 8 game Rope Jump but it is enough to drive you crazy trying to master this game.

Rope Jump is simply a game of jump rope where timing and speed being the key to success. It may be surprising how difficult it is to get those two aspects in tune so you can any success at Rope Jump.

Again, there is not much to Rope Jump. Your main menu includes the option to jump into game play, rate the game, follow the game over on Facebook or Twitter and mute the sounds.

Jumping into the game you will be greeted with directions to tap the screen when you are ready to test your rope jumping skills. When you tap the screen, a glowing rope will appear with a skeleton. Just tap the screen when you want the skeleton to jump to avoid being hit by the rope.

The goal of Rope Jump, as you would guess, is to jump the rope for as long as you can. The longer you survive the faster the rope spins. Should the rope hit your skeleton, he is sent back to his grave and the game is over.

When you first start playing Rope Jump, don’t be shocked if the best you can do is two or three jumps before the rope takes you out. Game play can be a little on the frustrating side which may eat into the appeal of this Windows Phone game. Rope Jump lacks an online leaderboard to see how well you are doing compared to others. In the short time I have played Rope Jump, my personal best hasn’t seen double digits yet.

Overall, while there’s not much meat on the bone, Rope Jump is a decent game to have in your Windows Phone 8 gaming library for the times you want to test your reflexes or are just looking for something different to pass the time with. Still, don't get your hopes up for a gaming title that will occupy your time for hours on end.

Rope Jump is a free, ad-supported game that is available for Windows Phone 8. You can find your copy of Rope Jump here in the Windows Phone Store.

Amazon US currently has a really sweet deal covering Titanfall for the next 17 hours. You can pick up both the Xbox and PC versions of the EA title for just $36.99. Part of Amazon’s series of Gold Box daily deals, today’s the perfect chance to pick up a copy if you haven’t yet entered your very own Titan.

It’s a strong saving of 38% for the game, which was recently updated with numerous improvements. A great part of the Titanfall experience is that those who still own Xbox 360 consoles are also be able to take part in matches. Remember folks; the deal is for today only.

Source: Amazon, via: Twitter (Major Nelsen)

Another Case Solved is a new puzzle game for Windows Phone 8 that has you playing detective to solve the mystery of a curious candy conspiracy. The story line has your city clamping down on candy cravings by outlawing the source. You will need to figure out what is behind the candy craze by gathering clues, interviewing witnesses and solve a series of mind-bending clues.

Another Case Solved has seen a decent amount of success over on iOS and based on tinkering with the game for a short period, it should be well received on the Windows Phone and Windows 8 platforms as well.

Another Case Solved is a well-illustrated game with the following key features:

• Create your own personalized detective which includes custom outfits, props and more
• Multiple gaming styles that include matching clues, identifying suspects, and tracking  down hidden items
• Story driven cases to keep you hooked into the candy mystery
• Minor cases are available to help you keep your detective business in operation
• Ability to customize your office with new furniture that will increase your detective skills

As you solve mysteries, you will earn candy and cash that can be used to buy office furniture or props to further customize your detective.

We’ve only spent a short time with Another Case Solved and the game comes across as a nice mixture between puzzle solving, strategy and deductive reasoning. Another Case Solved is an entertaining and challenging game that is available for both Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8. We'll take the game out for a test drive over the next few days and get a full review of Another Case Solved on the site shortly.

Both versions are free and you can pick up your copy of Another Case Solved at the following links.

• Another Case Solved – Windows Phone 8 (not available for low-memory devices)
• Another Case Solved – Windows 8

Race Illegal: High Speed 3D is one of the more recent racing games available for Windows Phone 8. The game offers nice 3D graphics, several gaming modes and hopes to fill your need for speed.

Along with the multiple gaming modes, Race Illegal: High Speed 3D offers twenty racetracks to conquer and nine cars to choose from and customize. The game has had its fair share of success over on iOS and Android platforms and in taking Race Illegal: High Speed 3D out for a test drive, the game comes across as having similar potential on the Windows Phone 8 platform.

Game Layout

The main menu for Race Illegal: High Speed 3D presents you with a Lazy Susan styled menu with your main gaming options. Along with these options, you will also find options to access the game’s music settings, links to the game’s Facebook and Twitter pages, along with a link to the About Screen from the main menu.

Quick note on the music settings, while you have the option to set the levels for music, sound effects and engine noise you also have the option to choose the style of music played in the background. Music choices include light drum, electronic, acid beats, rock and hard rock. You can access these options from the main Options Menu as well as a music button off the gaming screen.

The Lazy Susan styled menu spins around and offers you access to the game’s options, your achievements, access to more games from the developer and access to the three gaming modes for Race Illegal: High Speed 3D.

Gaming options/settings include:

• Game Options: Language selection and speed units
• Controls: Here is where you can choose your steering options (Accelerometer, tap screen or steering wheel)
• Video Options: Turning on/off slow motion, vibrations and opponents information
• Avatar: Race Illegal: High Speed 3D’s racer profile allows you to upload a photo that will be used as your avatar throughout the game and during online racing
• Change Name: Here is where you change your player name
• Profile: This will present you the option to reset your gaming progress

The three gaming modes for Race Illegal: High Speed 3D include a career mode, quick race mode, and multiplayer mode. They break down as follows.

Career Mode: The Career Mode with Race Illegal: High Speed 3D has you competing across twenty tracks in an effort to become the top racer. You start your career out as a rookie and slowly work your way up through the ranks. The first few races get you familiar with the car’s controls and from there you face a wide range of opponents.

Quick Race Mode: As you would guess, this mode sends you right into a race without all the storyline distractions. Within this mode you have six racing challenges that are progressively unlocked. You begin simple with the challenge being to finish 1st in the race and progress to drift challenges, demolition derby challenges and more. You can choose your race track and world (progressively unlocked) as well as the number of opponents on the track prior to each race.

Multiplayer Mode: Multiplayer Mode is an online race where you can host a game or join a game hosted by another Race Illegal: High Speed 3D gamer.

As you complete races, you will earn prize money that can be used in the Race Illegal: High Speed 3D garage to upgrade your existing car or buy a new ride. In-app purchases are available to buy more coins as well as remove the ad banners ($.99).

Garage access is done through the racing menu on the Career Mode (tire icon in the bottom corner) and prior to the Quick Race and Multiplayer Modes (no engine tuning in the garage for Quick Races).

Game Play

Game play with Race Illegal: High Speed 3D isn’t much different than any other racing game. Personally, I like the tilt controls for steering best but the tap controls (tapping either side of the screen) wasn’t that bad.

Across the top of the gaming screen (from left to right) you will find  a music selector button, your lap counter, race position, and your time/damage icon.  Across the bottom of the screen (again, from left to right) you will find a rear view mirror, a pause button, a camera view button, a brake pedal and your speedometer.

Tap the rear view mirror and the screen view will change to let you see who is on your tail. Swiping up at your speedometer will activate the nitrous booster with the booster level being illustrated by the flaming ring that appears just above your speedometer.

As you zip along the various city streets and hit things (oncoming traffic, light poles, trashcans, other racers, etc.) your car will take on damage. Damage that will be indicated on your damage icon. If the impact is severe, the screen will turn dark red (simulating the concussion you’ve just experienced?) for a short time that limits your visibility.

It does take a little time to get used to the control responses and don’t be surprised if you hit the wall a good bit while you gauge this responsiveness. The first few lessons or challenges with the Career Mode serve as a tutorial and walk you through game play rather nicely. I would recommend going through these first few lessons before delving into the Quick Race or Multiplayer modes.

Overall Impression

I really wanted to like Race Illegal: High Speed 3D but I couldn’t feel as though something was holding the game back. Graphics were nice but lacked that 3D pop we see with other racing games such as Asphalt 7.

The ad-supported version isn’t terrible with ads showing up on menu pages and in transition between game play and menus. The game screen for races is ad-free, which is a rather nice thing, and gives you an un-obstructed view of game play. The multiplayer games are also a nice touch and gives Race Illegal: High Speed 3D a little more staying power. It is a nice break from racing the computer.

As far as stability goes, I did experience a few endless load screens that required me to exit the game and restart to clear. The frequency wasn’t enough to drive me to uninstall the game but it was noticeable.

All in all, Race Illegal: High Speed 3D is a nice racing game for Windows Phone 8. I think if you add a dash more pop to the graphics and tighten up the steering response, it could be a better game (that and fix the game load bugs).

Race Illegal: High Speed 3D is a free, ad-supported game that is available for Windows Phone 8. It is showing available from my Nokia Lumia 520 and you can find Race Illegal: High Speed 3D here in the Windows Phone Store.

Unity support has really helped some of the larger mobile games come to Windows Phone, even if we still get them later than other platforms. Case in point, Russian-publisher Nival has just published King’s Bounty: Legions on Windows Phone 8. King’s Bounty is a turn-based strategy series that started its life on Sega Genesis/Mega Drive long ago and continues to thrive on Steam.

King’s Bounty: Legions is exciting for a number of reasons. For one, it’s a serious strategy game and it’s free to play. More importantly, it supports cloud saves and cross-platform multiplayer via Facebook! You can start playing on Windows Phone and then pick up where you left off on Steam, Facebook, iOS, and Android. Read on for more impressions.

Form your own legions

King’s Bounty thrusts players right into the thick of things. Instead of a story sequence, you’ll jump into a combat tutorial. Battles take place on a hex grid, much like the Heroes of Might and Magic series that shares lineage with this one. You command several units in battle, each one taking his or her turn before the enemies begin their turns.

To attack your foes, either tap the enemy for a normal attack or select a special ability from the list at the bottom of the screen. After confirming the attack or move, your unit will carry it out. Players get several types of units to command, including swordsmen, mages, and archers. It’s simple and easy to learn, but filled with strategic possibilities.

Take the battle online

You’ll need a Facebook account to get the most out of King’s Bounty, such as being able to save your game online and battle other players. Remember, you can create a Facebook account just for gaming, even if you hate socializing with others and knowing what your family is up to! Think of it as a forum account or whatever.

After logging in and completing the single-player tutorial, gamers can play through hundreds of single-player quests and battles. The real juice for some of us comes from taking on all comers in player-versus-player battles, though. The game also supports clans, so like-minded players can band together. We’re going to need some teamwork if we want to compete against the players from other platforms!

King’s Bounty: Legions is free to play, with In-App Purchases consisting of additional units to command. Hopefully units aren’t too tough to earn on their own – we’ll put some time in and let you know in a future write-up. Your phone must have 1 GB or more of RAM in order to install the game.

• King’s Bounty: Legions – Windows Phone 8 with 1 GB of RAM – 231 MB – Free – Store Link
• King’s Bounty: Legions – Steam – 789 MB – Free – Store Link

Thanks to Gabriel and everyone else who tipped us!

The wacky physics puzzle game Rabbids Big Bang is going free for a limited time in the Windows Phone Store. Rabbids Big Bang takes the absolutely insane creatures from the Rayman series and launches them into space. Take a swing at your fuzzy friend at just the right angle to send them into orbit around neighboring planets. Strategically time your jetpack usage to get all of the objective items, and ultimately unlock tons of bizzarre costumes and batting implements.

You can find Rabbids Big Bang here in the Windows Phone Store. Pick this one up soon, as it's only free until the end of the month.

Rabbids Big Bang is also available on Windows 8, though it'll still cost you $1.49 there.

Thanks mesamit!