Amazed is a Windows Phone game for those who like a little action in their games - action in the literal sense of the word.

Amazed is a virtual maze that requires you to physically walk your way out of it. The game uses your Windows Phone GPS to plot your location in the maze and you walk around as needed to escape the maze and avoid various pitfalls. As you would guess, this isn't a game to be played from the couch or the living room for that matter. You'll need a large space to accommodate all the twists and turns the maze will present. There is a time element involved so don't be surprised if you work up a sweat while escaping the maze.

While not available for low-memory Windows Phones, Amazed has the potential to be an entertaining fitness game for your Windows Phone. The game reminds me of Zombies Run! but without story line. I like the concept but there is a few performance issues present that need to be ironed out to let the game shine brighter.

Getting you up off the couch

Once you get past the warning message (appears every time you launch Amazed) the game will walk you through a series of tutorial screens (again, launches every time you run the game).

You can skip through all this fairly quickly but you need to endure the tutorial at least once. After which, you will be whisked away to Amazed's main menu with options to choose your gaming level (easy, medium and hard), access the game's settings, view the About screen, rate the game and send feedback to the developer.

Amazed's settings cover turning on/off your location services, sound effects or background music. Amazed offers twenty options for the game's background music that ranges from tranquil water to mystery bass to oriental palace. The background music gives the game a bit of a relaxation feel to it.

Each difficulty has 100 mazes to escape from with each having an assortment of dangers, badges and trinkets to avoid or help you escape the maze.

Prior to game play, your Windows Phone will have to acquire a solid GPS signal. Once your GPS is locked in, you may have to wave your Windows Phone around to calibrate the compass.

Game Play

To make the most of things, you really need a wide-open space to play Amazed. It works best in a park, the beach, a football field, open pasture, etc. where you can walk all over the place without much restriction. It's not a game for sidewalk walking or you may drift off into traffic and even when played in a park or beach, you'll need to be careful and not walk into a tree or the ocean.

The game screen will display your maze with your position marked with the green arrow. A timer is at the bottom of the screen along with a wall guide and access to Amazed's Store. At the top of the screen, you will find your gaming lives, a status indicator and your distance walked.

The center indicator at the top of the screen will show a maze when everything is in order and warns you when you have drifted off the maze's grid. The game's store has options to buy extra lives, bomb disarming credits and a key finder (helps you find hidden keys used to open walls.

Speaking of which, there are two types of walls with Amazed. You have the traditional maze walls and you have walls that block your path or access to the home icon. You will need to find keys that are hidden throughout the maze to unlock or remove these type walls.

As you would guess, you need to walk around to move your green arrow and navigate through the maze to get to the exit or 'home' icon. You'll need to avoid mines and find keys to unlock the walls that are blocking your way. Hit a mine and you lose a life and without a key, the walls won't come down.

Overall Impression

Amazed is an interesting Windows Phone game. The Windows Phone 8 game should be an attractive option for those looking for a more active gaming experience. While I liked the game's concept, there were a few issues with its performance.

Most of the issues surrounded GPS issues. For example, I had mixed reactions with the GPS performance. My Lumia 1020 locked in on a signal quickly while the Lumia 925 struggled. While I could get a GPS lock with the Lumia 1020, I would lose it with regularity during game play.

I don't know if this could be considered a performance issue or just something to keep in mind but you really need a wide-open area to play Amazed. Parks are a good option but they could be a challenge because of the trees, water fountains, jungle gyms and other structures that can get in your way. I played Amazed in my neighborhood, kept wandering out in the street. The best place I could find was the neighborhood soccer field.

Overall, Amazed is an interesting game and can double as a fitness app. You can end up walking a good bit as you complete the mazes. For that reason we'll add Amazed to our list of MobileFit apps. Just keep in mind that you may get odd looks though from the casual observer as you running around with no apparent rhyme or reason.

Amazed is not supported by low-memory devices.

• Amazed - Windows Phone 8 - Free - Store Link

We're always glad to see developers bringing over their games from other platforms to Windows Phone. Here's yet another one. Cut and Hack is an abstract hacking simulator. Combined with a storyline of being a hacker, the main objective is to rush and slice all the geometry shapes with perfectly drawn lines. It looks great. Head past the break to see some gameplay with our Nokia Lumia Icon.

Features:

• Test your accuracy, speed and reflexes in unique stylish game
• Hack your way through various color schemes, shapes and randomly generated cuts
• Achieve 50 levels and follow a decision-driven story

You are a hacker. Geometry shapes represent systems that can be hacked by you. Cutting along the lines inside the shapes as precise as possible, "hacks" the system. The more accurate you are, the more points you get. After every cut, the game lets you know whether the cut was poor, average, or elite.

Each round is 60 seconds. There's a timer at the bottom of the screen. You can earn more points with multipliers. If you act fast, the multipliers keep increasing. You can see your multiplier amount at the top left corner.

Scores are based on megabytes. At the end of the round, you see how much data you've hacked. After reaching a certain amount, you level up, sell data to a corporation, and face the consequences. Selling data gives you game credits. You can use them to equip augmentations to boost your hacking skills. This includes improving your precision, getting more time for hacking, and multiplying your score right from start. Credits sometimes show up in the middle of the rounds. Tap on the yellow icons if they appear.

Cut and Hack is a free download from the Windows Phone Store. There are ads, but any in-app purchase removes them. The most affordable option is 1,500 game credits for 99 cents. It's definitely worth checking out. Give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments!

Game Insight knows a thing or two about city building games. The Russian publisher has already brought two My City titles and Airport City over to Windows Phone and Windows 8. Each of these genre entries does things a little differently from the rest. 2020 My Country, for example, takes place in a near future setting. Airport City focuses on building a thriving airport and its urban surroundings.

Big Business Deluxe is Game Insight's latest city builder for Windows Phone (Windows 8 and RT versions will come later). As you might expect, this one goes into much more depth on the business side of things. Players will start new businesses and factories, developing goods into new products and using the profits to further expand their burgeoning metropolises. It works with phones with 512 MB of RAM right out of the gate and is a relatively small download, so all Windows Phone 8 users can have a chance at starting their own business empires.

Start small, think big

Initially your city will consist of little more than a farm and a milling plant. But that farm produces grain, which the milling plant can turn into flour. Buy a truck to move everything around, initiate production at the various facilities, and then you can sell the end results or use them to produce even more commodities.

That's the big difference between Big Business Deluxe and other city builders. This one gives players way more control over the supply chain that drives the city's commerce. Unlike the My Country games, you're not just hoping for random drops from buildings. Most buildings here produce a specific commodity (or commodities); you just need to supply the ingredients and order them to do it.

That's not to say that genre staples like residential buildings don't play a part. New businesses require people to man them. You'll have to build homes and then collect the people they produce in order to keep the city populated. Restaurants, swimming pools, and other amenities that your citizens will want can produce money over time without supply management.

Population and money are not the only resources needed when building new businesses. Most things need electricity in order to run, so you'll also have to erect windmills and other power-generating structures. Juggling the general resources is simpler than My Country, if only so that players can concentrate on producing goods and shifting them between buildings.

Optional download

Big Business Deluxe starts out as a 26 MB download – small enough that almost any phone should have storage space for it. But this game does something I haven't seen a Windows Phone game do before: offer an optional download for better graphics. The prompt pops up in game. If the user accepts, Big Business Deluxe will download the 49 MB file right then and there.

The benefits of downloading the file are improved graphics, although I'm not sure exactly how they differ. Even with the file, everything gets kind of fuzzy when you zoom in on it. The visual assets just don't seem to be especially high resolution. But they're probably less detailed without the extra download.

On other mobile operating systems, it's not uncommon for a game to first download a smaller installation file. After launching the file, the installer determines what quality of assets the device can handle and then downloads the appropriate assets. That way, low powered devices don't end up with high resolution assets. Big Business Deluxe's optional file is sort of like that. It's a little inconvenient but benefits people who don't have a lot of storage space to spare.

Quests

Optional side quests frequently appear on the left side of the screen. These involve building or upgrading buildings, putting out fires, delivering specific goods, and other tasks. Completing a quest gets you both coins and experience, so they're always worth doing. Collect enough experience and you'll level up, unlocking new buildings and items.

Multi-tiered quests add long-term goals to work towards. One such quest involves building the Eiffel Tower in your city. The construction process consists of five phases, each with multiple steps. If you can complete a multi-tiered quest within a certain time limit (30 days in this case), you'll get extra rewards. Larger goals like building the tower give the game more of a purpose than city builders that only consist of endless single-step quests.

Every now and then you'll notice a citizen with a red cross over his or her head. These people ask for various favors. Grant their requests and you'll earn a key. These keys can be spent on the occasional treasure chest you find or receive throughout the game, unlocking big rewards like money and unique items.

Money and energy

Big Business Deluxe has two primary currencies: coins and City Credits (dollars). Players earn coins regularly from buildings like hot dog stands. Basic city builder stuff, and it doesn't cost any energy to collect from them.

The real sources of income are your commodity-driven businesses, though. You'll want to produce fruit, paper, grain, and similar items as often as possible. Send them on to be processed in order to maximize profits. Again, this doesn't cost energy but it does require the availability of a truck to move the goods around. You'll have a fleet of them before too long.

All of those goods cost coins to produce, so be careful not to spend all of your coinage on building upgrades and the like. If you run too low, you'll have to stop producing goods until you get enough coins from coin-producing buildings and such. They produce coins at regular intervals, but it will still slow you down a lot.

City Credits are the premium currency. You can earn a few by leveling up, but for the most part you have to buy them. They can be spent on speeding up in-game processes, unlocking items ahead of schedule, refilling energy, or on bonuses. Bonuses are boosts that increase experience gain and other rewards.

Even though Big Business Deluxe has an energy system, most tasks don't actually require energy. You can produce and sell goods, collect money, etc. without breaking a sweat. So far as I know, only interacting with the citizens who walk around the city (necessary for some quests) actually uses energy.

Social features

Players can visit each other's cities in Big Business Deluxe, as with most games of this type. They can also send little gifts to one another.

One unusual feature is the ability to write on other players' walls, even if you're not friends with them. It's a neat idea, although people could also write mean things if they wanted.

The social interface is surprisingly cumbersome, however. I had no trouble visiting other players' towns but I simply couldn't figure out how to send them friend requests. Nobody's going to use the social stuff if they can't friend each other! In that respect, Big Business Deluxe feels kind of old-fashioned.

Overall Impression

Big Business Deluxe doesn't rock the boat as far as city building games go. Considering that running businesses is fairly dry subject matter, the art style is too plain and serious. The ability to visit friends' towns is always welcome, but the social menus are clunky and confusing.

Look pasts the looks though, and you'll find a fairly deep simulation game. Players have a good amount of freedom with what goods they can produce and how they choose to earn money. The multi-tiered quests and seasonal quests provide a strong incentive to keep playing besides just trying to grow your city. City builders tend to get repetitive after a while, but management-minded players should have a lot of fun with Big Business before that happens.

• Big Business Deluxe – Windows Phone 8 – 26 MB – Free – Store Link

Bungie has no plans to release a Windows Phone version of its Destiny companion app, which will be made available for iOS, Android, and web browsers when its beta officially begins on Thursday, July 17.

That's a bit of a shame, because the app sounds pretty cool. According to IGN, it will allow players of the upcoming sci-fi first person shooter to view their player characters via a full 3D model, with instant changes when the player make alterations to their character's armor and weapons. It will also keep track of the player's stats in the game, along with a way to view their in-game inventory and a way to access Destiny's fictional back story.

Bungie had a long history with Microsoft, as it was acquired by the folks in Redmond in 2000 to gain access to the first Halo game. It became the major launch title for the original Xbox in 2001 and Bungie developed all of the games in the Halo FPS series until Halo Reach in 2010. In 2007, Bungie announced it had decided to break away from Microsoft to become an independent developer again and has been making Destiny under its new publisher Activision.

After the beta for Destiny begins for the PlayStation 3 and 4 consoles on Thursday, it is scheduled to continue for Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles on July 23 and end on July 26. The full game will be released September 9.

What do you think about Bungie's decision to not release a Windows Phone companion app for Destiny?

Source: IGN

If you are looking for a fun game without paying a dime, look no further than Battleloot Adventure. The modern quest game with turn-based action scenes is dropping from 99 cents to $0 for the next 36-hours. The promotion is in conjunction with the myAppFree service, which makes deals with developers to temporarily drop the price of an app or game in an effort to gain visibility in the Store.

Battleloot Adventure "blends comedy, turn-based combat and role-playing for a whimsical adventure like no other!" but what I like about it is the endearing artwork, which has a hand drawn like charm.

Battleloot starts off with a mini play to explain the story (no worries as you can skip the short cutscene), which places city against city in an attempt to win favor of the ruthless king. As a result, you go on quests with battles to achieve various goals set by the game. Battleloot Adventure is a combo RPG game but with a modern twist for smartphones. From the game description:

RECRUIT & LEAD YOUR ADVENTURERS TO GLORY

• Pledge your allegiance to one of four cities and earn fame and fortune
• Recruit an assortment of adventurers, each with their own perks and unique skills
• Upgrade and customize your characters and their abilities
• Carefully choose your 3 ideal adventurers to face each danger ahead

EPIC QUESTS & BATTLES

• Brave over 60 quests, each including a unique feat to further challenge your skills
• Super easy touch controls
• Carefully arrange your team for battle, deploy your heroes in front and rear lines for the most effective offense/defense balance
• Cautiously plan every attack, selecting the right characters and moves for each quest
• Leverage Auto skills and Special attacks galore
• Be ready to take action anytime in the battle with the Assist and Block commands
• Master unique combos to rake up hits and collect stars to unleash Special attacks
• Battle across different environments – some infused with magic and each affecting your adventurers differently

Battleoot is certainly a unique game amongst Windows Phone offerings, and it is well worth the 87 MB download. Not only is it free for the next 36 hours but it also runs on 512 MB devices. The game maintains a 4.6-star rating (out of 5) from a few hundred reviews on the Windows Phone Store, and it is also a popular title on iOS and Android. The take away is this: go download it now and try something new!

• Download Battleloot Adventure for Windows Phone 8; Free (temporary promotion)

myAppFree

Windows Phone Central is proud to be partnering up with myAppFree, a free app and service that highlights special deals for software on the Windows Phone Store. Make sure you download their app today to keep track of all the specials they run weekly, as you'll never know what you may find.

Windows Phone Central is also highlighting select apps and games from myAppFree going forward as a benefit to the greater community. However, make sure you get their app as we are covering only one title a week!

• Download myAppFree

It was November 2012 when we wrote about twenty Xbox games that worked on Windows Phone 7.x, but no longer worked with Windows Phone 8. The list included some favorites like: The Harvest, Hasta La Muerte, Fable Coin Gold and many others. Over time a few of those returned to be playable on Windows Phone 8, but a handful of them were left out. Looks like a few might have returned to Windows Phone and Windows Phone 8.1 customers.

A handful of you guys and gals have started tipping us that older Xbox titles are being updated today within the Windows Phone Store.

Here's a list of Xbox games from Microsoft Studios getting recent updates:

• Microsoft Solitaire Collection [Download]
• Microsoft Mahjohng [Download]
• Hexic [Download]
• Shuffle Party [Download]
• Rise of Glory [Download]
• Avatar Gadgets [Download]
• Microsoft Minesweeper [Download]
• Halo: Spartan Assault [Download]
• Breeze [Download]
• Parachute Panic [Download]
• Jet Car Stunts WP [Download]
• Max & the Magic Marker [Download]
• Farm Frenzy 2 [Download]
• AlphaJax [Download]
• ilomilo [Download]
• Crimson Dragon: Side Story [Download]
• Fusion Sentient [Download]
• Z0MB1ES (on teh ph0ne) [Download]
• I Dig It [Download]
• BulletAsylum [Download]
• Harbor Master [Download]
• Big Buck Hunter Pro [Download]
• Game Room - Pitfall! [Download]
• Lode Runner Classic [Download]
• Hexic Rush [Download]
• Mush [Download]
• Game Chest: Solitaire Edition [Download]
• Game Room - Asteroids Deluxe [Download]
• Implode! [Download]
• Game Room - Centipede [Download]
• CarneyVale: Showtime [Download]
• iBlast Moki [Download]
• Cro-Mag Rally [Download]
• Hasta La Muerte [Download]
• Crafting Guide [Download]
• Glow Artisan [Download]
• Game Room - Lunar Lander [Download]
• UFC on Xbox LIVE [Download]

Massive, massive list. What's new in the games? We're surmising that a combination of support for 512 MB devices and Windows Phone 8.0 / Windows Phone 8.1 is in these updates. This is a huge backlog of titles that new Windows Phone owners now have access to on their devices. Plus, folks who have been with the platform for a long time can replay some old favorites. What game are you going to check out first?

Thanks for the tip Mohamed A!

At first glance, you may think 7 Pips is a 2048 clone but it's not. 7 Pips does have a slight 2048 appearance but once you get into game play, you will realize the two game styles are vastly different.

7 Pips combines simple math skills with strategic placement to create tile combinations that equal seven. When you create those combinations, the tiles are removed for points. This may sound simple but you have two tile colors that can either add or subtract from the value of other tiles.

Available for 512MB devices, 7 Pips is an entertaining, casual paced puzzle game for your Windows Phone gaming library.

7 Pips Clean Layout

7 Pips has a very clean, easy to navigate collection of main pages. The opening page lists your high score and the score from your last game. Navigation around 7 Pips main pages is tackled with a series of swipes and includes:

• Swipe Up will launch a new game
• Swipe to the left will send you to the "How to Play" pages
• Swipe to the right will send you to your gaming statistics
• Another swipe to the right will reveal the game's settings

7 Pips settings offers options to mute the sound/music and turn on/off the in-game help.

The "How to Play" section does a good job of walking you through game play and you will probably find yourself returning to this section repeatedly for the first several games.

Challenging Game Play

The gaming board for 7 Pips is a 4x4 grid where you will strategically place dice tiles. Your score is displayed in the upper left corner of the screen and your next two tiles to play will appear in the right corner. Just tap the square on the game board where you want to place your tile.

There are two colors of tiles (off-white and tan) and the goal is to place the same colored tiles next to each other where the face value equals seven. When the combination equals seven, the dice that was on the board will be removed and you earn points. The tile you placed on the board will stay in play.

To help make things interesting, any tile placed adjacent to a tile of the same color the value of that tile will be added to the neighboring tile. Tiles placed adjacent to a tile of the opposite color the value will be subtracted from the neighboring tile.

For example, a tan tile with a face value of 2 placed next to a tan tile with a value of 3 will result in the 3 tile changed to 5. Conversely, that same tan tile with a value of 2 placed next to an off-white tile with a value of 5 will result in the 5 tile change to 3.

You also have blank dice that lacks any value and will not affect the neighboring dice. However, it will turn into the dice that is placed next to it.

If you need a little help figuring out the impact a tile will have, just tap and hold on an empty game board square and the adjacent tiles will reflect how the new tile will change things. As you would guess, when you fill up the game board the game is over.

Overall Impression

7 Pips is a challenging puzzle game for Windows Phone that will challenge your math skills with a strategic flair. You not only have to search for a match of 7 but also try to plan ahead for placing the second tile that is lined up for play. It will take you a few games to get the hang of the rules and even after you get a handle on things, the game can give you fits.

I really cannot find anything to complain about with 7 Pips. Navigating around the menu pages is simple, the game has a clean appearance and once you become familiar with the game's mechanics 7 Pips can be a frustratingly enjoyable puzzle game.

If you are in the market for a new puzzle game for your Windows Phone, 7 Pips is worth a try. It is available for low-memory devices.

• 7 Pips - Windows Phone 8 - Free - Store Link

Last month we reviewed Snuggle Truck, the first Windows Phone game from Owlchemy Labs. Snuggle Truck impressed with its sense of humor, vast array of levels, level editor, and great visual style. Sure, the level select bug I encountered still needs to be fixed (ahem!), but the game remains my pick for best side-view driving game on the platform.

This month Owlchemy returns with an equally exciting game: Jack Lumber. The game plays a bit like a more methodical fruit ninja, as the titular lumberjack must slice through mass quantities of wood that fly on-screen with his trusty axe. But Jack Lumber is much funnier than Fruit Ninja and packs a lengthy campaign mode filled with distinct levels, missions, and tons of silly things to collect. You won't believe just how fun chopping through trees and bottles of syrup can be until you play Jack Lumber.

Grandma got run over by a pine tree

Believe it or not, Jack Lumber has an actual story that comes to life through well-drawn animated cinematics and clever letters that Jack receives between levels.

As the game opens, Jack's poor granny meets her demise at the hands of a mysterious tree with blue pine cones. Our hero takes Granny's death to heart and sets out to avenge her by chopping down any trees that are dumb enough to get in his way. As the game continues, he'll contend with a rival lumberjack on her own quest for vengeance and a park ranger intent on protecting the local flora… It's all very silly and fun.

Chop till you drop

During each level of Jack Lumber, multiple sets of logs will fly on screen. Jack's job is to chop through them all before they fall off the screen. But this isn't just a Fruit Ninja clone, so don't think the chopping will be that simple!

To start with, all of the logs and sliceable objects in a batch must be chopped through in a single, lengthy swipe. The moment your finger touches the screen, everything slows down and you're free to start drawing a curly line of destruction through the wood. This "Lumbertime" doesn't last forever, so you need to draw quickly. When time expires or you lift your finger, everything you drew through gets skewered and anything you missed goes unsliced. No second slices here, folks.

You can't just chop the wood any old way, either. The cuts have to pass through the logs vertically. Hit a log from the wrong side and it counts as a miss. Nothing too complex for our man Jack.

As the game goes on, the logs start appearing in new shapes and sizes. Jack will encounter L-shaped logs that require a curved cut and plus-shaped logs that have to be cut both vertically and horizontally. Logs with numbers on them must be sliced the same number of times as their number, while logs with arrows can only be cut in the direction of the arrow.

Every now and then a jar of syrup appears within a batch of wood. Try to chop it last, because hitting the syrup always ends the wave. It also brings up a quick bonus wave in which Jack gets to slice through a circle of logs coated in the sweet stuff.

The final wave of some story levels throws a helpless into the mix. You don't want to hit the bunny, owl, eagle, or whatever because it will end the level in failure. Let the critter go free and it will move into Jack's cabin in gratitude.

Map quest

The campaign consists of numerous levels spread across a rustic map. These levels are divided into worlds, with each world taking place on a different background. Each time players beat a level, they receive a star rating based on their score for that level. This provides some incentive for replay, since reaching star milestones will unlock new items in Jack's cabin.

Clearing all of the levels in a world unlocks an item in the cabin. It also opens up the Infinitree mode for that world. Infinitree is your basic endless mode à la Fruit Ninja. Unlike normal levels, players only get three lives to work with. Missing a log, making a bad chop, or hitting an animal will cause Jack to lose a life. The gameplay here is well-suited to Infinitree mode's longer settings, though it gets a touch repetitive after a while. It's a shame Jack Lumber doesn't have online leaderboards to inspire score-based competition.

Jack can also view "Granny's Errands" from the map. Errands are optional side missions such as splitting a certain number of logs, getting multiple straight cuts (slicing multiple logs without bending the line) during a level, hitting an animal, and more. Players get three errands at one time, as with Jetpack Joyride and other games. Although Jack Lumber lacks a leveling system, completing errands does get you some logs (currency) to spend in the cabin.

Cabin in the woods

Jack's cabin serves as his base – a place to chill out between levels. The animals that Jack rescues appear in the cabin and will bounce around and make silly sounds when tapped. You can also shake your phone to shake them all up or activate the disco ball and start an animal dance party. When you're done making an axe of yourself, feel free to read the letters that slip under Jack's door every now and then.

The cabin also houses Granny's Cupboard, the in-game store of sorts. The logs that Jack chops or receives from completing errands can be spent on items and unlockables in the Cupboard. Like Snuggle Truck, you can't buy currency in this game. So man up and earn it in the forest!

Things to buy in the cupboard:

• Syrup: These four flavors of syrup are disposable items for use within levels. Buy them to make certain logs easier to cut, slow time down, undo a miss, and more.
• Beards: Jack Lumber features an innovative stackable beard system. The more beards you put on, the harder the game becomes – and the higher your score multiplier will go. Owlchemy Labs even included a Windows Phone-exclusive blue beard. Equipping it will make you have to slice a certain log in each wave before the other logs.
• Memorabilia: Buy pretty pictures to display on the cabin wall.
• Hat Rack: Equip the critters of the cabin with a variety of silly hats.

Almost too colorful

Jack Lumber looks great for the most part, especially the cut scenes. Everything comes to life in a distinctive cartoon art style that perfectly fits the game's lighthearted tone. The color palette uses a lot of pink, purple, and blue , just like Smuggle Truck. Kind of Sega Genesis-like, I guess.

The one thing that doesn't match the game's standards is the map. For some reason, the map and Jack's hands that hold it look awfully low resolution and pixelated. The rough appearance might be intentional, but it clashes with the rest of the visuals.

Got woods?

Screenshots don't do Jack Lumber justice. Games with similar core mechanics tend to be small-scale score hunts without a lot of meat on their bones. Jack Lumber brings a real story, lots of real levels, and a crazy cabin to the table. This game just oozes personality and charm.

No it doesn't have a trial, but take my word for it. Even if you've never dreamed of wearing high heels, suspenders, and a bra, you'll have a better than okay time with Jack Lumber.

• Jack Lumber – Windows Phone 8 – 26 MB – $1.99 – Store Link

Pinball FX2 is a bittersweet game for many Windows Phone gamers. A Windows Phone version of the popular Xbox 360 game was supposed to come along in 2012 (see our interview), but it turned into vaporware (unofficial cancellation) instead. At least it did come out on Windows 8, giving tablet and PC gamers plenty of pinball goodness to enjoy.

The Xbox One is still a new console and doesn't have a pinball game to its name. That will soon change with the arrival of Pinball FX2! Zen Studios' epic pinball platform has long been announced for Microsoft's latest console as part of the ID@Xbox program. And now the Xbox One version has an official release date: July 31. The base game will cost nothing and includes a full table for free! Read on for more details and a list of tables that will be available to buy at launch.

Xbox One tables

The Pinball FX2 client will be a free download and includes the original table Sorcerer's Lair completely free. This matches the game's release on other platforms like Android and iOS, as Sorcerer;s Lair has always been free on those systems. It was not free on Xbox 360 due to Microsoft's publishing restrictions, but thankfully Zen can self-publish now on Xbox One.

Other tables can be purchased individually for $2.49-$2.99, with packs of tables ringing up at $9.99. Each table has a free demo so players can try them before buying.

The launch tables include a mixture of original tables, plus licensed Marvel and Star Wars tables.

Licensed:

• Captain America
• Deadpool
• Doctor Strange
• Fantastic Four
• Marvel Civil War
• Marvel Pinball pack – Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, and Blade
• Marvel Pinball Avengers Chronicles: World War Hulk, Infinity Gauntlet, The Avengers, and Fear Itself
• Marvel Pinball Vengeance and Virtue: Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, Thor, and X-Men
• Plants VS. Zombies – See our detailed impressions of this table!
• Star Wars Pinball: Heroes Within – Episode IV A New Hope, Han Solo, Droids, Masters of the Force
• Star Wars Pinball: Balance of the Force – Episode VI Return of the Jedi, Starfighter Assault, Darth Vader
• Star Wars Pinball Original pack – Episode V, Boba Fett, The Clone Wars

Original:

• Earth Defense
• Epic Quest
• Excalibur
• Mars
• Paranormal
• Pinball FX2 Core pack – Biolab, Pasha, Rome, Secrets of the Deep
• Sorcerer's Lair
• Zen Classics – Shaman, El Dorado, Tesla and V12

Coming soon:

• The Walking Dead

Xbox One details

The good news is that Pinball FX2 for Xbox One will be the best version of the game yet. It runs in 1080p at 60 frames per second, which should look really nice. It boasts a brand new menu interface. The Xbox 360 version's menus were a tad clunky, so the new menu should be an improvement. It will support worldwide tournaments, as I believe the 360 version did. And of course it will have new Achievements! Let's hope they're more humanly attainable than most of the 360 version's Achievements.

The bad news is that tables purchased in the Xbox 360 version will not transfer over to Pinball FX2 on Xbox One. We have only Microsoft to blame. Zen supports the cross-buy concept on Playstation platforms, but were denied the ability to share purchases between Xbox 360 and Xbox One. I guess we should count ourselves lucky that universal apps are even a thing on Windows Phone and Windows 8 nowadays, right?

Cross-buy or no, a certain crowd of Xbox One owners (myself included) are starving for some pinball action on their new consoles. We'll soon have an excellent pinball game and tons of great tables to choose from. Stay tuned to Windows Phone Central for hands-on impressions with Pinball FX2 for Xbox One in the weeks to come!

Back in April 2013, Ms.Splosion Man arrived for Windows Phone users with Xbox LIVE support. The game is based on of the famous – and hilarious – XBLA game originally developed by Twisted Pixel. The only problem is the game is only for Windows Phone 7.x, meaning those with Windows Phone 8 were unable to partake in the wacky platformer adventure. At the time, Microsoft informed us that they had no intentions to update the game for Windows Phone 8, making this game almost dead in the water upon release.

Last night, Microsoft re-published nearly 40 Xbox LIVE game titles for Windows Phone with two new features: support for Windows Phone 8.x devices, or support for 512 MB Windows Phones, or both. One of those games we missed is Ms. Spolsion Man and yes, for $2.99 (and a free trial) you can 'splode your way through the challenging levels of this exciting game.

Perhaps with the ability for a whole new audience, including those with 512 MB phones, to try out Ms. Splosion Man, this game can finally get the chance it deserves. Make sure you watch the bizarrely entertaining trailer too.

• Download Ms. Splosion Man for all Windows Phones; $2.99 + free trial (207 MB)

Thanks, Kyle S., for the tip

Angry Monkey Run is another endless runner gaming option for Windows Phone 8. The game has simple mechanics, nice graphics and can be a little on the frustrating side as far as game challenge is concerned.

The story behind the game has the monkey's girlfriend being snatched up by zookeepers that does not sit well with the monkey. Your job is to guide him through the jungle to save his girlfriend.

Angry Monkey is available for low-memory devices and isn't a terrible game. The game has potential but Angry Monkey seems to lack the pop other endless runner options have.

Simple menu, simple game play

When you launch Angry Monkey Run you will be carried through a series of storyboards illustrating the abduction of the monkey's girlfriend. This story is displayed every time you launch the game and thankfully, you can skip it and move on to the main gaming menu.

From the main gaming menu for Angry Monkey Run you will find options to play the game, mute the sounds, view your gaming statistics, view the help screen and access the game's Facebook and Twitter feeds.

Game play has your monkey running through four areas: a jungle, city, forest and beach. You have to jump the monkey through gaps in walls/barriers and collect bananas along the way. Your game score is based on the number of bananas collected.

Mechanics are simple. Forward movement is automatic and picks up in pace the further you travel. Tap the screen to jump between the bottom and top of the screen. When you first start the game, the monkey will be protected for a few seconds by a shield that will destroy the walls when he touches them. Once the shield fades away, you'll have to time your jumps to have the monkey sail through the gap. You can collect additional shields as you progress through the game.

Overall Impression

Angry Monkey Run is a challenging endless runner game. It will test your patience and timing to sail through the gaps in obstacles and advance far enough to save your monkey's girlfriend. Don't be surprised if your high score remains in the single digits for a while.

The game is ad supported with the ad banner running across the top of all the screens. This does take away from the gaming screen with the monkey being partially blocked by the banner as he swings from the top of the screen. I would like to see the ad banner limited to the menu screens but I would imagine having it run throughout the game increases the revenue.

While Angry Monkey Run isn't without challenge, it is also without a gaming feature to keep you pulled into the game. I would have liked to have seen some variation in the obstacles you have to pass through during game play or more bonus items. Maybe one of the bonus items could be a Land Rover that plows through all the barricades.

As is, I can see Angry Monkey Run growing old quickly for some. It's worth a look and hopefully the developer will find a way to add a little more meat on the bone.

Angry Monkey Run is available for 512MB devices.

• Angry Monkey Run - Windows Phone 8 - Free - Store Link

A long time ago there was this Adolf Hitler guy, and it turns out he was history's biggest jerk. As a result, many people have fantasized about going back in time and killing the punk off before he got into everybody's business. Lots of videogames take place during World War II, but they don't let players kill little Adolf due to some notion called historical accuracy.

Still, the Sniper Elite games aren't afraid to put Hitler behind the cross-hairs. Sniper Elite V2 offered a DLC called "Assassinate The Führer," and now Sniper Elite III follows up with the sequel mission called "Hunt the Grey Wolf." Yes, players can kill Hitler all over again in Sniper Elite III – this time in balmy North Africa! The "Hunt the Grey Wolf" DLC is $7.99 on Xbox One and Xbox 360. Read on for impressions and our exclusive mission highlights video!

Launching the DLC on Xbox One

Sniper Elite III is a pretty large game on Xbox One – 20 GB, in fact. You might think the new DLC would already be a part of the game, in which case we'd only need to buy an unlock key in order to play it. But nope, the "Hunt the Grey Wolf" DLC is a separate 2 GB download. Pretty large, but it does contain a unique level and story sequences. Plus Hitler, that dude probably takes up a gigabyte all on his own.

After buying and downloading the DLC on Xbox One, you'll need to exit, close the game, and restart. You should see a "New content downloaded" message upon restarting the game. Select Campaign and then Downloaded Missions in order to play the new level.

Taking down the wolf

"Hunt the Grey Wolf" takes place entirely at night. Our hero Karl Fairburne must approach a hilltop villa occupied by Nazis, determine whether Hitler is truly going to visit the encampment, and then kill him.

Players can take several paths as they approach the base of the hill. Whether you choose to kill every Nazi on the ground or sneak past the majority of them is up to you. Once you reach the hillside, you'll discover a series of ladders that lead up to the base. Approach the building just past the ladder and read the intel contained within. Could it be the real Hitler visiting or just one of his doubles?

After entering the encampment, you'll have to hunt down more intel. Eventually you'll have discovered everything you need to know. At that point, you can choose between two vantage points from which to watch the visiting Führer and take your shot. Soon he arrives and sits down at a table surrounded by officers. You'll want to take a shot and then make your escape.

Achievements

One big advantage the "Hunt the Grey Wolf" DLC has over Sniper Elite V2's "Assassinate The Führer" DLC (other than being much longer) is that it includes 200 GamerScore worth of Achievements! Paid DLC always goes down easier if it throws in some GamerScore and optional objectives.

The new DLC actually has seven different Achievements for killing old Hitlerface in seven different ways, such as by explosion, dropping a bell on his head, and more. This could add a lot of replay value to the mission, although Achievement hunters have discovered that players can die after killing him and reload the checkpoint in order to fight him again more quickly. Follow this Achievement guide if you're concerned about efficiency.

Get it now

Sniper Elite III is an extremely fun game of stealth and sniping set during World War II in the year 1942. The main game consists of eight massive missions that can be completed in multiple ways. They really are quite long – I spent more than two hours on the second mission just the other day. But leaving and coming back won't be a problem since the game allows players to save anywhere.

With full online campaign co-op for two players, several single-player Challenge modes, and both cooperative and competitive online modes for up to 16 players, players won't run out of things to do in Sniper Elite III. If you enjoy sneaking around and taking out enemies methodically, you can't do any better on the Xbox One.

The "Hunt the Grey Wolf" DLC was originally given out as a bonus for pre-ordering the game. Now it's available to all users for $7.99. I wouldn't call the mission essential, but it certainly has a nice scope thanks to the massive unique environment and multiple ways that players can tackle it. And killing Hitler (or maybe his double) is probably worth eight bones all on its own.

Get the DLC here on Xbox 360. Xbox One users must purchase the mission from within the game's Downloadable Content menu.

• Sniper Elite III – Xbox One – $49.99 – Xbox.com– Amazon Link
• Sniper Elite III Collector's Edition – Xbox One – $69.99 – Amazon Link
• Sniper Elite III – Xbox 360 – $39.99 – Xbox.com– Amazon Link

Firework Apprentice is a relatively new adventure game for Windows Phone 8 where you play the role of a firework apprentice who must work his way to the Emperor's Palace for an annual firework contest.

The game takes place in a world full of floating islands, which are filled with puzzles, colorful characters and explosive fireworks. You also have magical moon dust that can be collected and used to enhance your fireworks.

Available for low-memory devices, Firework Apprentice comes across as an enjoyable adventure/puzzle game for Windows Phone but may take you a few turns playing the game to get used to the controls.

Nice graphics and layout but mechanics requires patience

When you first launch Firework Apprentice the game will send you through a tutorial on game mechanics. You begin the game at your home village/hut where you must collect a handful of fireworks and head out on your journey towards the Emperor's Palace.

Once you complete the tutorial and return to the game, a brief menu will appear with options to continue the game, view your game achievements and access the game's options. Options cover the following:

• Mute the Sound
• Toggle between touch controls and an on-screen directional pad
• Language choice
• Re-launch the tutorial
• View the About screen
• Reset your gaming progress

Mechanics with game play has your movement controlled by either an on-screen d-pad or by simply tapping on the screen to the spot where you want your apprentice to go. The gaming screen view can be rotated and zoomed by touch. Your orientation doesn't adjust automatically so it may take a little time to get used to the mechanics of moving around the floating islands.

The Firework Apprentice has twelve levels or worlds to travel through, each with a unique environment and challenges that you have to overcome to advance one step closer to the Emperor's Palace.

You will use your fireworks to tackle some of these challenges such as destroying obstacles that block your path. Along the way you can collect Moon Powder that is hidden throughout the worlds and can be used to upgrade your fireworks.

As you move about the worlds, information panels are present and marked with a blue exclamation point. Puzzles and other obstacles are marked with a red exclamation. Just tap on the exclamation point for more information. Your objective or mission for each world will be displayed as you enter each world.

To place a firework, just double-tap the screen to place the explosive. A power meter and flame button will appear on the screen. You adjust the power by sliding up on the meter and tap the flame button to light the fuse. As with most fireworks, it is not advisable to stand next to them when they explode. You will need to light the fuse and move the apprentice to a safe distance. Otherwise, he'll be blasted into orbit and you will fail the level. Should the firework not do the trick, you'll fail the level.

Game Play - The most obvious path is not always correct path

The Firework Apprentice has plenty of puzzles that you have to solve in order to advance through the game. As you approach these puzzles, the direct approach may not be the correct answer and here is where the game drive you nuts.

For example, with your first world after leaving your home world you are tasked with clearing a few fallen trees that are blocking the path. Your first guess would be to place a firework next to the fallen trees and blow them off the path. Before you try dozens of placements for your fireworks, this direct approach to solving the puzzle will not work. If you could only blow something up that would knock the trees off the path…

The indirect approach to solving many of these puzzles adds to their difficulty. However, once you've discovered the solution, putting things into motion isn't very difficult. You just need to remember to get out of the way of the fireworks.

Overall Impression - Better mechanics needed, but not a bad start

The Firework Apprentice isn't a bad title to consider adding to your Windows Phone gaming library. It has decent graphics and has some rather challenging puzzles.

The mechanics of game play could be better though. I had difficulty placing fireworks (double-tap didn't register) and all too often I couldn't clear the area before the fireworks exploded. The ragdoll effects were nice as your apprentice blasted into orbit but definitely defeats the purpose of the game.

I would also have liked the point of view to have been more automatic, keeping the view over your apprentice's shoulder. I kept finding myself constantly adjusting the view as the apprentice moved about the screen. It often resulted in slower movement simply because I couldn't see where I was going.

The game also needs more than one firework to use to solve a puzzle. If you fail with your only firework, you have to restart the level, which can be a time consuming. If you had a second firework, you could learn from your first attempt and the game wouldn't drag on as long.

As is, Firework Apprentice is a challenging game for Windows Phone but does require a little patience. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but there is a trial version to let you try things out before buying.

The game is available for 512MB devices.

• Fireworks Apprentice - Windows Phone 8 - Trial / $1.99 - Store Link

Tieing in with the launch of the movie of the same name, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is available today on both Windows and Windows Phone for $7.99 and $4.99 from respective app stores. Despite the tie in, Guardians of the Galaxy: The Universal Weapon is an original storyline and falls into the 'action role playing game' genre.

"Players will initially take on the role of Star-Lord as he rallies his rag-tag crew—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon with a quick draw and an even quicker temper; Groot, the tree-like humanoid who packs a punch; the deadly and enigmatic assassin, Gamora; and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer through galactic locations and real-time strategic combat. Marvel fans will recruit and train additional heroes, engage in gesture-based team combat, and unlock each piece of the story to unveil the identity of the Guardians' shadowy nemesis."

With over 60 levels to play through, players will have no shortage of entertainment. And it looks pretty nice, too. The movie may not be out until August 1 but if it sounds like your sort of thing check out the trailer below and hit the download links to grab a copy for your smartphone and tablet.

This game can run on hardware with 512MB of RAM.

• Download Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy for Windows ($7.99)
• Download Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy for Windows Phone ($4.99)

It's Thursday, which means we're hopping on the Twitch stream again to play some games! This week it's the much-anticipated Modern Combat 5, which launches publicly on July 24. Every 4:30 PM EST on Thursday we're getting some gameplay in of whatever's within arm's reach, be it on PC, Xbox One, or, as it so happens this week, on mobile.

Now, we already know Modern Combat 5 was announced for Windows platforms, but the review code we got just so happened to be for iOS. You might have to grit your teeth a little bit watching iPad gameplay footage, but rest assured that the Windows experience will be pretty much identical and this is still a sneak peek of what's in store.

With that said, enjoy the show, and if you feel so inclined, hop into our Twitch channel and join the chat!

Gameloft continues to show love to Windows Phone and Windows 8. Today the company has just released their latest game for both Windows 8 and Windows Phone – Dungeon Gems. The game mixes puzzle gameplay with RPG elements. Details and download link for you below.

It feels like Gameloft is dropping new games for Windows Phone nearly every week. Blitz Brigade was the last game released for Windows Phone and came out earlier this month.

Here's what you get with new game Dungeon Gems on Windows Phone:

EASY TO LEARN, HARD TO MASTER

• Drag your finger over elemental gems to link them and trigger your heroes' attacks.
• Link like-colored gems to launch focused attacks or…
• Link differently colored gems to unleash devastating multi-element attacks, but beware: These will cost you precious Action Points.

RECRUIT A DARING PARTY

• 220 powerful warriors await your summons.
• Choose wisely: Each warrior can launch a different elemental attack, but is vulnerable to an element as well.
• Power up your favorite warriors, then evolve them into new, legendary forms!

YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT ALONE

• There's always someone ready to help you in your quest, be it a friend or a complete stranger.
• Choose your allies wisely, as you need the right kind of strength to defeat particular foes.
• Compare your progress to your friends' and gain bonuses when completing dungeons together.

We'll need to spend a few days with the game before we can properly review it. But we did download the game to check it out. First impressions? Dungeon Gems looks and plays great on our Lumia 1520.

The app is free and available for you to download. 85MB download and no 512MB device support.

• Download Dungeon Gems for Windows Phone
• Download Dungeon Gems for Windows

Thanks for the tip Hicham!

Jigsaw puzzles are a great way to pass the time or with the larger puzzles a fun project to tackle over a few days. Tackling a jigsaw puzzle can help you relax and clear your mind.

To help fill your jigsaw puzzle building needs electronically, XIMAD, who is known for their colorful Windows Phone and Windows 8 games, has released Magic Jigsaw Puzzles for Windows 8.

Magic Jigsaw Puzzles is a casual game that has four levels of difficulty, daily puzzle challenges and three packs of jigsaw puzzles.Puzzle difficulties range from 35 to 280 pieces. In-app purchase options are available to increase your puzzle library and create new jigsaw puzzles from your own puzzles.

Available for both Windows 8 and RT, Magic Jigsaw Puzzles makes a nice first impression and if you're in the market for a jigsaw puzzle game, Magic Jigsaw Puzzles is worth a try.

Game Layout

The main menu for Magic Jigsaw Puzzles has options to take on the daily challenge puzzle, return to your current game in progress, access your account, options to buy more puzzle packs, a gallery of puzzles built from your photos and a listing of all your puzzle packs.

The Magic Jigsaw Puzzles account (free) will allow you to download free and paid puzzle packs from the Magic Jigsaw Puzzle Store. Accounts are based off your Windows Live ID and basically involves allowing Magic Jigsaw Puzzles permission to access your Live Account (for purchases).

The core game is free and includes three puzzle packs that includes pets, architecture and nature. Each puzzle pack contains five jigsaw puzzles with options to play games with 35, 70, 140 and 280 pieces.

Again, additional puzzle packs are available through the Magic Jigsaw Puzzles Store as well as the ability to upgrade to the ad-free version ($9.99) that unlocks the ability to create puzzles from your own images.

The game store packs range in price from $2.50 up and include themes such as art, motorcycles, castles, retro cars and more. You also have a handful of freebies to choose from as well.

As far as settings are concerned, the main settings from the bottom pull-up menu off the main pages cover sound and music settings. Once you get to the jigsaw puzzle you will have additional settings that adds changing the background color of your puzzle board.

Game Play

Once you have selected a puzzle to tackle and chosen the difficulty level (the number of puzzle pieces) the game screen is simply laid out. You have an ad-banner that runs along the right side of the screen, your puzzle pieces lining up along the left side of the screen and your puzzle board is center screen.

Again, you can change the color of your puzzle board in the game's settings. This option lets you create a little contrast between your puzzle pieces and the background.

To button controls are on the game page (over in the lower left corner) to help you identify the corner puzzle pieces and preview the image you are building.

Solving the jigsaw is accomplished by tapping and dragging the various pieces into the right position on the puzzle board. You can take the traditional path and build the edges of the puzzle first then fill in the middle or you can build sections and move them into place to build the big picture.

The only issue I have with game mechanics is the game board is limited to your tablet/computer screen. You cannot zoom out or scroll around to give yourself a little more elbowroom.

Once solved, the screen glitters and the puzzle pieces merge into one. Swiping up at the bottom of the screen (or down from the top) will reveal the settings but also navigation buttons at the top of the screen to go back to the main menu, view more puzzles in that category, visit the store and access your account. You can use these buttons to launch a new jigsaw puzzle.

Overall Impression

It's hard to find much to complain about with Magic Jigsaw Puzzles. The core game has plenty of free puzzles to keep you busy and the mechanics are easy to pick up on. Puzzles are challenging enough to keep you interested and if you have to leave the game, your progress is automatically saved.

The game board did feel a little restrictive and maybe you could scroll around to open up more real estate for those who prefer building jigsaw puzzles in sections.

While the free version of Magical Jigsaw Puzzles has plenty of puzzles and the ads aren't that bad, you can always upgrade to remove the ads and buy additional puzzle packs. The $9.99 upgrade fee is a little steep but does open up custom puzzle features and eighty additional puzzles. The hard part about selling the ten buck upgrade is that Microsoft offers essentially the same features free in their Microsoft Jigsaw Game.

Nonetheless, XIMAD's Magic Jigsaw Puzzles isn't a bad option to consider if you are addicted to jigsaw puzzles or simply looking for a casual game for Windows 8.

• Magic Jigsaw Puzzle - Windows 8 / RT - Free - Store Link

If you are searching for a simple, entertaining Windows Phone game to waste the time with you need to give Beyond Gravity a try.

It does have an endless runner feel to it but you do more jumping than running. The goal is to jump through space, from planet to planet, collecting nuts and bolts along the way.

The Samurai Jack graphics look great, the game play challenging and overall Beyond Gravity is a Windows Phone game you gotta try. It lacks a trial version but on the brighter side of the coin, Beyond Gravity is available for low-memory devices.

Lost in Space

The main menu for Beyond Gravity has options to jump into game play, view your spaceship for upgrades, access the game's settings, view the credits and play the intro story again. Settings covers turning on or off the sound, music and screen shake.

The storyline behind Beyond Gravity has your spaceman traveling around without a care in the world. His ship is struck by asteroids, crashes into a nearby planet and scatters ship parts across the universe. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to jump from planet to planet, collecting various nuts and bolts that can in turn be used to give your spaceman a little more junk in his trunk.

Game mechanics are simple. You land on a planet that rotates and you'll need to time your jump just right to collect the stash floating in between the planets and land safely on the adjacent planet. The further you jump the faster the planets spin and flaming asteroids will appear in between planets requiring you to time your jumps better.

To jump, just tap and hold your Windows Phone screen and release your hold to jump. The planet will stop rotating when you hold the screen to help you time your jump. If you happen to misjudge your jump position, a timer will appear on the planet and when time runs out the planet will resume its rotation - allowing you to better judge your jump position.

Should you miss your planet, the spaceman will soar into the depths of space and scream like a little girl. Well, okay, maybe not like a little girl but you get the picture.

The object of Beyond Gravity is to jump as far as you can and collect as much stash as possible. When you have enough stash you can buy bonuses from the spaceship such as increased jump speed, a magnetic field to attract stash and various space suits.

Overall Impression

Beyond Gravity has the same type of appeal Rainbow Rapture– nice graphics, easy mechanics, challenging game play. It just lacks the ringtones and wallpapers you find with Rainbow Rapture.

You do goals with Beyond Gravity that include traveling a certain distance, landing on a number of planets or collecting an amount of stash. When you achieve these goals you earn bonus stash and the goals give you a little something extra to work towards.

The one thing I'd like to see added to Beyond Gravity that would improve game play is a grappling hook that can be deployed to latch onto a planet and pull you to safety on near misses. It would be a nice touch for those times you're just slightly off with your jumps.

The one glaring downside to Beyond Gravity is the lack of a trial version. The game is only running $.99 so it's not too expensive and while we think it's a no-brainer of a purchase, it would be nice to have a trial version to let you try things out.

Still, if you need a time waster of a game for your Windows Phone Beyond Gravity is a nice option to fill that need.

Beyond Gravity is available for 512MB devices.

• Beyond Gravity – Windows Phone 8 - $.99 – Store Link

Yesterday your friendly neighborhood gaming editor travelled through the rain to Dallas, TX for QuakeCon. It was a totally uneventful trip and nothing dangerous or life shattering happened long the way, no sir. QuakeCon is Bethesda's annual fan convention, where visitors can compete in gaming tournaments, show off their PC case mods, and get some playtime with Bethesda games like The Evil Within and The Elder Scrolls Online.

The largest draw for visitors of this year's QuakeCon was easily the chance to see id's new Doom game (also known as Doom 4) before anyone else! Bethesda showed the game in action during yesterday's welcome ceremony. That gameplay footage is not available online, so most gamers will have to wait until a later date to see Doom in action. Don't worry; Doom looks amazing.

The Doom reveal

To start with, id plays the same Doom teaser trailer that debuted last month. The video features a grim narration describing the basic theme of all Doom games: the unholy union of flesh and metal created by science gone wrong. We see the construction of a Cyberdemon, a towering minotaur-like beast with cybernetic parts and goat legs. The Doom title pops up.

Next Marty Stratton, the executive producer of Doom delivers a presentation on the game. Although many gamers think of the new game as Doom 4, its title is simply Doom. The new Doom will be a reimagining of what made the original games great. He doesn't say it, but the upcoming title appears to draw much more inspiration from the first two Dooms than the third.

The game starts outside of a UAC research facility on Mars. The Union Aerospace Corporation is the military research group whose experiments with teleportation end up unleashing demons from Hell in previous Doom games. The UAC facility is already suffering an invasion from hell when the new game begins.

Stratton tells us that Doom will evolve how first-person shooters look and feel. The most important part of the game is combat. Fighting demons will be relentless, fast, fluid, and brutal. To have fast combat, you also need fast movement. This Doom does not involve taking cover and regenerating health, two common mechanics in modern shooters. No, players will be too busy charging forward, dodging projectiles, and smashing monsters instead.

Doom reveal (no streaming)

The new Doom runs on id's new Id Tech 6 game engine, colloquially referred to as id Tech 666. Although Stratton can't discuss the technology behind the game in detail just yet, he does reveal one important piece of information... Doom is targeted to run in 1080P at 60 frames per second. Presumably that applies to all platforms, including the Xbox One. We'll see!

Next one of the game's producers takes to the stage and plays through two segments of the game. Or pretends to play – you never can tell with these presentations. At last, we catch a genuine glimpse of the new Doom.

The demo starts with the player character putting on the iconic Doom marine helmet in first-person. A slick HUD pops up on the helmet visor. A futuristic door opens, revealing the UAC Energy Complex on Mars. The complex is filled with industrial technology, molten metal flowing beneath the machines and platforms. The place glows orange and yellow.

As our hero looks around, he detects new information about the environment. The data gets archived for later viewing. He reaches a room with a switch that must be activated by hand scan. The marine tries his own hand but the system doesn't accept it. He looks around and finds the body of a dead scientist. That guy won't need his hand anymore, so the marine rips the forearm from the body and uses it to activate the switch. Who says switch puzzles need to be boring?

Soon the protagonist encounters some of the monsters who have decimated the facility. Most of his opponents are zombies and demons. The demons throw fireballs that our hero swiftly dodges. Later he'll fight a mutated creature who wields a laser gun. Enemies often drop health and ammo when killed. The item gets pulled through the air into the player when he gets close to them – a nice effect.

The combat really does look fast and brutal. This Doom features a surprising amount of melee attacks. It seems that any time the marine gets within arm's reach of a monster, he can grab and mutilate it in some way. He kicks them, punches them, and sometimes stomps their heads off. One enemy gets its head smashed to bits against a wall. Another has the misfortune of its entire torso being ripped in half. The Doom marine has been working out!

The Doom weapons have become iconic over the years. Our hero liberates a double-barreled shotgun from a dead soldier, loading it dramatically. The audience cheers. He promptly uses it to blast the torso off of a monster, eliciting a similar reaction from the crowd. Later he acquires a very sexy plasma rifle that rapidly fires blue plasma bolts. The detail that goes into Doom's weapons really impresses.

We see that a door has shut closed on a man's body, killing him, Prometheus-style. Boy Prometheus sucks, but that's neither here nor there. The marine pulls the doors open without sparing the dead dude a second thought. He takes more note of a hologram that pops up, recorded or transmitted by a woman named Jill Traverse. She delivers a cryptic message before vanishing. It looks like Doom will have a bit of a story, although maybe less than the slower-paced Doom 3.

Earlier the hero passed by a glass wall just as a Revenant flew off to parts unknown. The Revenant is a skeleton-like monster clad in battle armor. He finally runs into the Revenant head-on later in the level. Melee attacks work both ways in Doom, it turns out. The Revenant jumps onto the marine, rips his arm off, and beats him to death. Ouch!

A second section of the demo takes place in a different UAC structure, along with several jaunts onto the rocky Martian surface. As the marine enters the surface, an Atmospheric Alert pops up on his HUD. The armor then pressurizes, allowing him to walk safely across the brown and gray land. Back inside the complex, someone has scrawled glowing pentagrams on the ground. Above them hang strips of flesh and guts.

The hero of Doom can now jump, which opens a lot of possibilities in the level design. Sometimes he leaps across ruined walkways. Other times he jumps up and grabs hold of elevated platforms, pulling himself up to their level. Jumping even adds something to the combat. The marine jumps from a box onto an enemy, splattering its head.

When the marine equips a chainsaw, the audience goes crazy. The chainsaw has been a melee weapon mainstay since the original Doom. The new one is even more devastating than previous models. Our hero uses it to slice an enemy straight down the middle. The unlucky monster tries to block the blow with his arms, to no avail.

Later the hero encounters the Mancubus, a fat and bloated demon equipped with guns instead of hands. After nailing it with repeated rocket blasts, the monster is finally stunned. The marine reaches into monster's belly and pulls out its heart. He then shoves it down the thing's mouth, which causes it to explode for some reason. Brutality!

Finally, the hero opens a door to a real boss encounter. Behind it towers the Cyberdemon, a two-story giant. The demo ends, leaving the battle to our imagination.

Doom will come

The QuakeCon audience absolutely loved the Doom reveal. Of course, they are all rabid fans of id and Bethesda games. But Doom really does look like a fantastic update to the series. The pace and combat are much faster than that of Doom 3, a game that leaned more towards horror than previous titles. The melee kills and buckets of gibs make for exciting and varied combat. The foreboding atmosphere and demonic imagery scream classic Doom, yet they look better than ever.

Doom is coming to Xbox One, PC, and Playstation 4 sometime next year. People who preordered Wolfenstein: The New Order will receive access to the Doom beta sometime before launch.

More QuakeCon 2014 coverage coming soon!

If you detest cute and cuddle characters, Adorables is not a Windows Phone game you should be trying. Adorables is a collection of sporting games that features tiny little creatures come across as part Minion and part gummy bear. Or at least that's how they come across to me.

These one-eyed creatures are customizable and currently delivers four games to your Windows Phones. Add features such as three single player modes, turn based multi-player modes, online multi-player modes and MOGA controller support and Adorables has the potential of being a decent Windows Phone game.

Available for low-memory devices, your biggest hurdle with Adorables may be simply getting used to the cuteness factor.

Plenty of gaming but it's hard to ignore the 'children's game' feel

The main menu for Adorables is fairly simple with options to jump into game play, access the main settings for the game and an option to customize your adorables. The main settings cover language support, favorite nation choices, a few display options and the customary sound/music on or off controls.

Customization options include body type, color, eyes, hats and mouths. Some customization options are free while others will cost you gaming coins.

Adorables has five gaming modes that include:

• .World Tour: A multi-level game where you compete against computerized national teams.
• .Tournament: Pick a game and play against the computer in a tournament bracket.
• .Practice: This is a "just for the fun of it" mode where you can play any of the six games without the pressure of the World Tour or Tournament brackets.
• .Online: Host or join online games and play over Wi-Fi (not the interweb) with other Adorable players.
• .Hot Seat: Pass and Play multi-player games

The four games currently available to play with Adorables include soccer, beach ball, last man standing, and ice hockey. Last man standing is a king of the hill styled game where you have to push your opponents off a floating platform.

Additional games are in the works that are listed as "Coming Soon" which includes mummy and capture the flag. The game choices aren't shabby and the five gaming modes give Adorables a little depth but it may be hard to get past the children's game appearance.

Pick your game mode, your sport, tap the play button and your set. You do have the option to play a speed game that increases the pace of the game considerably (more on this in a second).

In the upper corner of these menus you will see your coin count. Coins are earned during game play and can be used to buy customizations for your players. In-app purchases are also available for the coins for those who want to get a jump on things.

Game Play

Game play with Adorables follows the game choice closely. For example, the soccer game calls for you to kick the soccer ball into the opponent's net. While you would expect beach ball to be a game of volleyball, it plays more like a game of soccer but on sand.

You have two options for game mechanics. The standard game has you setting the direction of your players, tapping the check mark and all the players go into action. Just tap and drag on your players to set their direction of movement. You can use players to kick the ball/puck or use them as blockers to knock your opponent's players around.

The speed option picks up the pace of game play a bit. Instead of lining up all your players then tapping the check button, once you have the direction lined up the player moves into action. There is about a two-second pause between moves for each player (they can move again when their eye opens).

Overall Impression

I have to admit, the game does grow on you the more you play. I think Adorables has two hurdles to overcome. First, it looks too much like a children's game and may turn some gamers away. These little guys are animated but they need to get a little more competitive. If they'd stick their tongues out and taunt their opponents, dive to the ground during soccer games, toss off their helmets and gloves during a hockey game or something that would give these little guys a little more character it would help.

Next hurdle is the time it takes to play a game. If you strike the ball or puck in the wrong direction, it is difficult to recover in a timely manner. Sure, you have the speed option but it's hard to get a coordinated gaming strategy when everyone is moving about at different intervals. It adds to the challenge but can extend game time a bit.

I do like the online gaming mode and with Adorables being also available on the Android platform, your field of opponents isn't as restrictive. I could see Adorables being a fun family game and if it ever gets a little edgier, it might appeal more to the older crowd.

As is, I see Adorables as a fun Windows Phone game that is well suited for the Kid's Corner. It's also a Windows Phone game that has potential of appealing to a larger audience.

Again, Adorables does have MOGA controller support and is available for low-memory devices.

• Adorables - Windows Phone 8 - Free - Store Link