The first Xbox-enabled version of Fruit Ninja launched shortly after Windows Phone 7 itself way back in December 2010. As the months rolled by, the iOS and Android versions received a number of updates while the Windows Phone game did not. Developer Halfbrick released a Kinect-enabled Xbox 360 version in 2011, and an Xbox Windows 8 version in 2012 – but still no update to the original Windows Phone game.

Things finally took a turn for the better this month when a Windows Phone 8-specific version of Fruit Ninjafinally showed up to the party. The decrepit Windows Phone 7 version simultaneously got partially delisted from the Store, though Windows Phone 7 users can apparently still download it. The new Windows Phone 8 Fruit Ninja is identical in features to the Windows 8 version, so we’ll review them both and point out the improvements to the original game.

Slicing and dicing

All screenshots from Windows Phone 8 version

Fruit Ninja’s concept is so approachable that even non-gamers can grasp it in seconds. An off-screen sensei throws fruit onto the screen, which the player ninja must quickly swipe into oblivion. The specific rules and challenges vary by mode, but your goal is always to slice as much fruit as you can in pursuit of high scores.

This is a simple game – almost to a fault. But a few extra mechanics do add some spice to the slicing. Players will randomly perform critical hits as they slash fruit to pieces, gaining ten extra points for the attack. Hit three or more fruits in a single fast and continuous swipe to get a combo bonus. Wait too long to go for the combo and a fruit might fall off the screen, adding an element of risk for score-minded players.

New to the mobile Windows Fruit Ninjas is the pomegranate, which also shows up in Fruit Ninja Kinect. When this fruit appears in Classic or Arcade mode, time slows down and players can slash it multiple times. After a few seconds, the pomegranate explodes and destroys any other fruit on screen. Pomegranates are a good score booster, but I could take or leave them.

Game modes

After all this time, Fruit Ninja still offers of the same three modes it had in 2010.

• Classic: The main game type and the only one with no time limit. The game continues until the ninja either misses three fruits or hits a bomb. Man do I hate those bombs.
• Zen: This 90-second mode lacks the threat of bombs, but neither does it have special fruits or even critical hits. Zen is designed to be laid back, but that also makes it the least exciting way to play.
• Arcade: A 60-second mode with several unique items to its name. Three special bananas: Fruit Frenzy, Freeze, and Double Points all provide benefits for a few seconds after you slice them, adding a fun helping of chaos to the game. Bombs still show up here, but hitting one only adds a score penalty instead of ending the game. A pomegranate always appears when the Arcade timer runs out.

Sensei’s Swag: Blades and backgrounds

With any version of Fruit Ninja, the metagame has always been to unlock as many blades (colorful swiping effects) and backgrounds as possible. Players can check the requirements for unlocking a particular item and equip whatever they have unlocked from the Sensei’s Swag menu. Unlocking requirements tend to be for hitting certain fruit milestones or completing games with specific scores.

The Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 versions of Fruit Ninja include a few backgrounds that weren’t in the original version, such as ‘Gutsu & Truffles’ and ‘King Dragon.’ They offer a few new blades too. However, the ‘Cloud Kicker’ and ‘Sakura Slicer’ blades and the ‘Cloudy Skies’ and ‘Cherry Blossom’ backgrounds from the iOS version did not make the cut. They were added to iOS in December 2012, so there is no excuse for their omission here.

Buying boosts

These versions feature In-App Purchases in the form of Gutsu’s Cart. Gutsu, a new character sells three power-ups in various quantities:

• Bomb Deflects: A deflect nullifies one bomb strike, allowing players to survive longer in Classic Mode or Get a higher score in Arcade. However many deflects you purchase, only three can be used in a single game. These are by far the most useful item since they can potentially triple the length of a Classic game.
• Berry Blasts: These cause strawberries to explode when hit, providing a score bonus. They affect all three modes.
• Peachy Times: Hitting a peach in Arcade and Zen modes will add extra time to the game.

You’ll use Starfruit as currency in Gutsu’s shop. Starfruit can be bought with real money, but you also earn some every time you play. Because Fruit Ninja doesn’t have any unlocks associated with high scores, I doubt many players will feel the need to spend real money on boosts.

The loneliest number

These versions’ missing blades and backgrounds sting a bit, especially given how easy it would be for Halfbrick to add them. But the absent feature that hurts the most is undoubtedly Online Versus mode.

iOS has had the 2-player Online mode since September 2010. Why wouldn’t the Windows 8 game, released in June 2012 and this year’s Windows Phone 8 version include multiplayer as well? Well, we do know that Microsoft has yet to provide online multiplayer tools for either Windows Phone or Windows 8 Xbox games. If developers want to add online features, they must produce the multiplayer code entirely on their own. Gameloft is pretty much the only developer to regularly do so.

Microsoft should get over its aversion towards real-time online multiplayer on Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 and start providing developers all the support they need in order to include those features in their games.

Achievements

Fruit Ninja has always been an easy game for Achievement completionists, and the Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 versions are no different. Arcade and Zen each have a single Achievement, with the rest specific to Classic or cumulative across all modes.

The two that will take the longest are ‘Year of the Dragon’ and ‘Fruit Annihilation.’ The first requires players to slice the very rare Dragonfruit in Classic mode. Its appearance is random, so you’ll just need to keep playing until you get lucky and see one. As for ‘Fruit Annihilation,’ it’s the usual 10,000-fruit Achievement and will take a couple of hours to get. See Arsenic17’s Achievement guide for more details.

Note that the Windows Phone 8 version and Windows 8 version each have their own Achievements list, separate from every other version. You can beat these two versions for a total of 400 GamerScore. That’s on top of the 200 GamerScore the Windows Phone 7 version provided, not to mention the XBLA game’s 350 GamerScore.

Overall Impression

The Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 Fruit Ninja games are slightly disappointing due to their missing features. Fruit Ninja does not exactly overflow with content, so more unlockables and online multiplayer would have significantly improved these games. The Windows 8 version suffers some crashing issues and doesn't seem to play nicely with the Windows 8.1 preview either.

Still, at least Windows Phone 8 users now have a better Fruit Ninja to play. Fruit Ninja is the quintessential casual mobile game. It’s meant to be played for minutes at a time and offers little in the way of long term goals or complexity. That’s what many gamers want from a phone or tablet game. Even if you’re looking for more serious and lengthy gaming titles, the low price and easy GamerScore make Fruit Ninja worth a look.

• Fruit Ninja– Windows Phone 8 – 26 MB – $.99 – Store Link
• Fruit Ninja– Windows 8 and RT – 81 MB – $1.99 – Store Link

Temple Run, aka the now classic endless runner, may be getting old but that hasn’t stopped Disney from teaming up with Imangi Studios to release the latest movie tie-in, in this case Oz. The version for Windows Phone 8 has finally landed on the Store today for the usual $0.99 and while it’s not Xbox Live enabled (sorry, folks) it is one sweet ride.

The immediate difference between this game and the other two Temple Run games on the Store is the improved HD graphics. Indeed, these are probably the best graphics we’ve seen for this type of game—they’re almost too good as you just want to look at them instead of paying attention to jumping, sliding or turning. The game is also not just a re-skin but adds new elements like flying baboons and new powerups to help you along the way. Heck, you even get to ride in a hot-air balloon.

Temple Run: Oz (description)

"Disney and Imangi Studios present Temple Run: Oz – a brand-new endless runner inspired by Temple Run 2 and the film Oz the Great and Powerful. Play as Oz and outrun the shrieking flying baboons as you turn, jump and slide your way across the land. Begin your exhilarating adventure now and see how far you can run!"

• Stunning environments inspired by the film – explore them all.
• Fly in a hot air balloon – earn even more coins.
• Explore different locations in Oz – follow sign posts!
• The environment changes as you run – test your reflexes.

The game weighs in at an impressive 50MB and it is a tad slow to load all of those graphics, but if you’re a fan of the Temple Run series, we have to give it a thumbs up (you can watch the gameplay trailer above for an idea).

You can grab Temple Run: Oz for Windows Phone 8 devices here for $0.99, or scan the QR code below; no free trial. 1 GB of RAM or more required, sorry 512MB devices!

Thanks, Daniel S., for the heads up

Yes! It was just yesterday we told you folks about Halo: Spartan Assault picking up an update sometime this week. Looks like that time is now, both the Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 versions have updates waiting for you in their respective Stores. Let’s see what’s new for Halo: Spartan Assault.

Head to either the Windows Phone Store or Windows Store and you’ll see an update available for both versions of Spartan Assault. Here’s what is new in each of them.

Windows 8

• Operation Hydra - including 5 new missions
• New Achievements (50 points) including Archeology, Silvertip, Tour of duty, A for Effort and Vidmaster Challenge 2.0
• Support for Xbox 360 wired controllers – We knew this was coming from our earlier coverage, but now it’s confirmed that users will be able to plug in their Xbox 360 controller to their Surface Pro or desktop to get a new way to interact with the game

Windows Phone 8

• Operation Hydra – including 5 new missions
• New Achievements (50 points) including Archeology, Silvertip, Tour of duty, A for Effort and Vidmaster Challenge 2.0
• Support for 512MB devices

All in all it looks like a great update for folks playing it on either device. Windows 8 users can look forward to using their Xbox 360 controllers with the game. And folks on Windows Phone 8 with 512MB devices, who have previously been left out, can now join the fight. And everyone gets to look forward to new missions and achievements.

All in all, it’s a solid update for a solid game. Easily one of the best on both Windows Phone and Windows 8. We’re just now downloading the game to our Lumia 620, so we can’t comment yet on gameplay, if you get download it be sure to let us know how it runs.

Halo: Spartan Assault costs $6.99 on both platforms, if you had to pick one we’d recommended the Windows 8 version because the larger displays make touch controls a little easier. Although you really can’t go wrong with either. Both the Windows Phone and Windows 8 version will sync your play state across devices. Ninja Edit: The update went fine on my Lumia 925 and I see the new levels, however the Windows 8 version has me starting over from the beginning after updating. Just a heads up. Ninja Edit 2: I'm not alone, others are missing their in-game progress after updating the Windows 8 version. Be careful, we've reached out to 343 Industrires and Vanguard Games to see what the deal is. 

Update: Vanguard Games has let us know that 343 Industries is aware of the issue on Windows 8 and working to resolve it. Progress is not lost and should be restored soon. 

Grab Spartan Assault in the Windows Phone Store or in the Windows Store. 

Thanks for the tips everyone!

Terraria is a popular indie RPG (think 2D Minecraft with more focus on adventure) on its way to mobile platforms. Launching today on iOS (iPhone and iPad), the title is being ported by Codeglue who also plan to release the title on Android and Windows Phone. 505 Games (who developed the Xbox 360 version) has announced on fan website Terraria Online that both Google and Microsoft's platforms will see Terraria soon.

Never played Terraria before? It all began on Steam a few years ago. The game has gone on to ship millions of copies with fans producing new worlds (essentially custom maps), coming up with new gametypes for multiplayer (capture the gem, anyone?) and keeping the community alive while development has been in limbo for some time. It's good to see Terraria live on. 

Windows Phone owners, you'll not have long to wait for the title to release on the store.

1.2 and the PC

What about those of us on the PC who are eagerly awaiting an update? If you've not been following the development progress, the original developer and his team have revealed over 700 new features and changes that are on the way in version 1.2.

From entirely new biomes being introduced to numerous improvements being made to the overall experience, Terraria 1.2 is set to make the 1.1 update (hard mod, etc.) look minor. If you've never played Terriara or caught the game at its initial release and haven't even tested the water with 1.1, I strongly urge you to hop on and give it a go on the PC.  Here are some of the new mechanics in action:

We're yet to see how the game will play on Windows Phone, but initial reviews of the iOS version on the Apple App Store make us rather excited to be able to go cave diving while on the move ourselves. We'll keep an eye out and inform you all once the game is finally on the Windows Phone Store.

Source: Terraria Online

It’s another sad week with no new Xbox Windows Phone game release – Tetris Blitz never showed up yesterday. As such, the Xbox Red Stripe Deal must provide hungry Windows Phone gamers with sustenance. Well, this week’s deal game has gone on twice sale before, but more than a year ago and never for as cheap. Physics puzzler Implode from IUGO is now on sale for 99 cents, down from $2.99. Probably what it should cost all the time, but who are we to judge?

Rounding out this week’s Red Stripe Deals are Darts Arena Online from E-Bouma and Week View 8, a calendar app from Hannes Biribauer. Both are on sale for 99 cents. Descriptions, free candy, and store links after the break!

Implode  (Windows Phone 7 or 8)

Regular price: $2.99 Sale price: $.99 Download size:  15 MB Store Link

It’s hard to believe that at one time we were all complaining that Xbox Windows Phone had too many physics puzzlers like Implode. These days, I’d kill to have a new Xbox-enabled physics puzzler every week. At least that would be something! Ah, 2010 and 2011 were better times for mobile Xbox gaming…

Implode takes place in a classroom setting with every puzzle drawn on a chalkboard. The subject on offer: blowing up buildings as efficiently as possible.

Over the course of 150 levels, you’ll get to use a variety of different explosives and face a number of challenging conditions like wind, low gravity, and neighboring buildings that mustn’t be harmed. As our review indicates, Implode’s puzzles get quite tough sometimes, but it remains fun throughout.

Darts Arena Online (Windows Phone 7 or 8)

Regular price: $1.99 Sale price: $.99 Download size:  15 MB Store Link

Darts are best played in a bar or similar establishment, complete with booze and friends to populate the evening. If you don’t have those things or Grand Ttheft Auto IV on hand, this online multiplayer mobile version will have to do.

It’s got text chat, leaderboards, in-game achievements, and several different darts games to play (301, 501, Cricket, Round the Clock and Baseball). Plus a really ugly title font, but we’ll let that slide. If you like darts but hate accidentally hitting other people with them and the subsequent lawsuits, this game might just be for you.

Week View 8 (Windows Phone 7 or 8)

Regular price: $1.99 Sale price: $.99 Download size:  1 MB Store Link

One of Windows Phone 8’s advantages over 7 is its support for proper calendar integration in apps. Week View 8 provides a weekly calendar – necessary because Windows Phone only has that monthly view.

The app’s calendar displays:

• The appointments of the current week
• Multiple, configurable Live Tiles
• A detailed view of the events of a day
• A month view with readable appointments
• An annual overview

Other features:

• A large live tile that shows the next four upcoming appointments, the current date and week number.
• Native support for the HD resolution of your Windows Phone 8
• An optional configurable live-tile back and more live tiles (week view, month view, day view, appointments as live tile)
• Speech recognition: On the main screen of your windows phone hold down the windows key and say "start week view and show the next appointment" - week view 8 tells you the next appointment by voice output.
• Creating appointments is possible directly in Week View 8 in all your windows phone calendars
• Appointment search

That actually sounds tempting! What do you guys think?

Last week we revealed that Gameloft, one of the largest mobile game publishers in the world would be bringing 15 new games to both Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8. Since then, a scrappy little site has reported that “future [Gameloft] Windows Phone titles will be released day and date with iOS and Android ones.” Release date parity is something that Windows Phone gamers have long clamored for.

Well, I hate to take the wind out of anyone’s sails, but Gameloft has informed us that the “day and date” story is definitely incorrect. Read Gameloft’s official quote and our detailed analysis after the break!

Lost in translation

The incorrect site’s actual source is a German site called PhoneSeven.de. The German site interviewed a European Gameloft PR representative named Gregory Wintgens about the 15 games announcement. The PhoneSeven article is very short and extremely written in German, but Google translate tells us the discussion centered around Gameloft’s hopes to release Windows Phone games closer to the iOS and Android versions of those games.

The Google translated text however does not specifically say that Gameloft’s Windows Phone games will start releasing on the same dates as the lead platforms:

“The real goal, however, lies a little further in the future. then the versions will get a similar release date.”

Similar is not the same as exactly the same day of release, wouldn't you say?

 Fact checking

Maybe a translation error occurred somewhere along the line. Could Gameloft have actually announced a desire for day-and-date releases of games across Windows Phone, iOS, and Android? We reached out to Gameloft ourselves, and they provided this response:

"Gameloft has announced 15 additional games coming to the Windows platforms over the next 12 months. We are working to minimize the release delta with other platforms and offer Windows users our newest and best games, however these titles will not be day and date with iOS and Android releases"

That settles that.

Delayed releases were already in the cards

First, let’s look back at the upcoming titles Gameloft announced by name last week:

• Asphalt 8– Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8
• Despicable Me: Minion Rush– Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8
• Dungeon Hunter 4– Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8
• Total Conquest – Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8
• Six Guns– Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8
• Kingdoms & Lords– Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8
• UNO & Friends– Windows 8

Notice that with the exception of Total Conquest (pictured above), all of these games have already been released on other mobile platforms. A simultaneous Windows Phone release would be impossible.

That doesn’t mean the remaining 8 unnamed games couldn’t possibly be released at the same time as their iOS counterparts. It’s just not in Gameloft’s best interest to push for that yet.

Why delayed releases will continue

Let’s briefly look at how porting works. Unless a game is designed with a multiplatform engine like Unity and that engine has mature support for Windows Phone, a developer can’t just release a Windows Phone version with minimal effort. Gameloft games (as far as we know) are created primarily with in-house engines and make occasional minor use of cross-platform middleware like Havok Physics.

Microsoft originally claimed that porting games from iOS to Windows Phone would be a fast and easy process, with Fairway Solitaire (pictured above) supposedly taking just two weeks to translate to Windows Phone. That game actually took months to bring to release though, and multiple developers have since told us that porting is no minor feat of work.

The best comparison one of them made is that it an iOS game can be ported to Windows Phone in about half the time it takes to make a brand new iOS game – and that’s if the game doesn’t use Xbox Live. If it does, double the porting time at minimum.

In other words, it can take one or more months of effort to port a game. The bigger the game, the more work required. To get release date parity, Gameloft would have to delay the iOS and Android versions to match the Windows Phone version’s release, losing potential sales from those platforms in the process.

If a platform is large enough to represent a significant portion of a game’s potential sales – for instance, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 have similar worldwide install bases – then holding on to one version until another version is ready makes sense. Windows Phone has a much smaller user base, and so games won’t typically be ported until the lead version has already been released.

Chin up - we're growing

There’s no one to blame for the current climate of releasing Windows Phone ports after iOS and Android versions. All major publishers: Gameloft, EA, Ubisoft, etc. do it because that’s the most profitable course of action for them.

When a relatively high profile game like Angry Birds Star Wars II is announced for a simultaneous release, there’s a good chance that Nokia or Microsoft greased a few palms to make it happen. And that game doesn’t exactly take much work to port; it’s a physics puzzler. Rovio surely uses an in-house multiplatform engine for its Angry Birds games anyway.

As gamers, all we can do is buy the games that major publishers release on Windows Phone and Windows 8. Spend a little on In-App Purchases in free to play games. Someday, the profits these publishers take in from our game purchases will reach a level that indicates our platforms are ready for simultaneous releases. Until then, let’s help mobile Windows platforms grow!

Windows Phone Central Game Roundup: Drawing Games

Very few will debate that our Windows Phones can be handy entertainment devices. There are bounty of Windows Phone games available to help us break moments of boredom, pass the time, and test the limits of our batteries.

Drawing games are those where you have to draw or doodle your way through the game in some shape, form or fashion. They test your deductive reasoning as well as your artistic abilities. The games aren't a bad source of entertainment on our Windows Phones and is the focus of this week's Windows Phone Central game roundup.

Drawtopia (free): Drawtopia is a free puzzle game for your Windows Phone where the solution to the enigma rests at your fingertip.

You are presented with a ball, a start and a end point with a series of targets in between. The task at hand has you tracing a path for the ball to follow to make it to the end point, collecting as many targets along the way as possible.

Drawtopia also includes a handful of traps and mechanical obstacles to keep things interesting. The game has forty levels of play spread out across four color rooms that become more challenging the further you advance.

Drawtopia is a free game for Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices. You can pick up Drawtopia here in the Windows Phone Store.

DrawaStickman EPIC (trial/$1.99): DrawaStickman EPIC is a Windows Phone adventure game that depends on your doodling skills and imagination.

You play the role of a stickman (which you get to draw) and your best friend (another stickman that you draw and name) has been eaten by an evil book. It's your job to travel through the fourteen levels/chapters of the novel and rescue your friend.

You use your drawing skills to draw elements (fire, water, etc.), tools and weapons to defeat the evil minions that fill the pages of the evil book. For example, you can draw fire to burn down gates or ignite dynamite to remove obstacles on your path. Some obstacles require a little thought such as drawing rain to make the flowers grow that will attract bees away from the path they are blocking.  Game play is a mix between a role playing game and puzzle game.

If you ever want a makeover for either your stickman (or is it stick person) or your friend, you can redraw things in between levels. The minimalistic graphics look good and the game reminds me a little of Max and the Magic Marker.

There is a trial version of DrawaStickman EPIC for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices. The full version is currently running $1.99 and you can find DrawaStickman EPIC here in the Windows Phone Store.

Skill Game (free): Skill Game is a challenging puzzle game for your Windows Phone where you called upon to draw a line connecting a series of numbers in ascending order.

Sounds simple, right? Well you can't draw your line off the gaming board, you can't draw through the various obstacles that may appear on the gaming board and you can't cross the lines.

It still sound simple but surprisingly, Skill Game can be a rather challenging game. It mixes strategy and steadiness of hand to advance through the 150 plus levels of the game with each level getting a little more difficult than the last.

If you get into a level where you just can't find a solution without crossing lines, Skill Game has a magic pen that can be used once per level that will let you cross lines. While you start the game with a limited number of magic pens, you can always buy more through in-app purchases.

Skill Game is a free, ad-supported game for your Windows Phone 7.x and 8 devices. You can download Skill Game here in the Windows Phone Store.

Duudle (free/$2.99): Duudle is a Pictionary styled game for our Windows Phones where you are given a word and have to draw a picture describing that word which others use to guess what the word is.

Game play is done online in turn base fashion with other Duudle members. You can play against your friends who have registered or against a random opponent. Games can be played with three to ten players.

In addition to the multi-player game, there is now a single player game where you are presented with the Duudle and have to guess what word it represents. The faster you guess the word, the higher your score.

The only downside to Duudle is that there isn't a local mult-player option available for pass and played styled gaming. There are two versions of Duudle available for your Windows Phone 8 or 7.x device. Duudle Free is a free, ad-supported version that you can find here in the Windows Phone Store.

There is an ad-free version of Duddle that is currently running $2.99 that you can pick up here in the Windows Phone Store.

Draw games are a nice section of the Windows Phone gaming library and will test you skills of strategy, drawing and patience. If we've missed your favorite drawing game, sound off in the comments below with your Windows Phone drawing game recommendation.

Back in the happier times when Microsoft actively supported Xbox games on Windows Phone, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ska Studios, the two person team behind Zombies on the Phone. While Ska worked on Zombies (which came out at the beginning of 2012), they also plugged away at an Xbox Live Arcade game called Charlie Murder. It would be their most expansive game to date.

In fact, Charlie Murder just recently arrived on Xbox 360 as part of the annual Summer of Arcade promotion. On the surface, Charlie Murder is a cooperative beat-em-up in which one rock band is forced to save the world from a demonic invasion. But it’s also an evolution of the brawler genre that manages to outdo even the beloved Castle Crashers in sheer personality and scope. Head past the break for our full review!

Et tu, Charlie?

The game starts with the members of the band Charlie Murder being forced to fight their way out of hell and into the real world. There they discover zombies, demons, and other monstrosities running rampant in their city.

The reason Charlie Murder has found themselves in this predicament slowly becomes clear through cinematic sequences that play out between every few levels. I won’t spoil it, but suffice it to say that the protagonists aren’t actually the nicest people and their actions have grave consequences for the world at large.

The beat-em-up genre is not traditionally known for its gripping narratives (with perhaps the exception of SEGA’s Guardian Heroes). And yet Charlie Murder tells a sparse but emotional story with two possible endings, one of which might actually make players feel genuinely sad.

You got your smartphone in my console

To best understand Charlie Murder’s gameplay, think of it as a cross between Castle Crashers and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Like both of those games, you can play as multiple characters with unique abilities and level them up over time. Only here your experience is measured in fans, represented as followers on a very Twitter-like social network.

As your character levels up, you can select new abilities for him or her to learn and allocate stat points, providing an increased level of ownership over the character. To distribute those stats, check your followers, or read tutorial messages, you’ll activate your phone via the d-pad. And because the duo at Ska Studios are fans, the in-game phone is a Windows Phone!

Collect them all

Charlie Murder’s many levels often branch off into little side paths for players to explore. Taking the road less traveled and defeating a gruesome boss usually nets you a unique relic to equip for stat bonuses. Not only are there five ‘Smockula’ parts to find and equip in order to get the good ending, but the game has a total of 55 unique relics to discover. There are also six tattoos to collect across your journey, each of which can be equipped to perform offensive or defensive magic attacks.

Speaking of equipping things, Charlie Murder boasts a staggering quantity of head, body, and hand clothing for players to wear. You’ll get them as drops from enemies or purchase them in shops. These wearable goods don’t just provide stat bonuses; they also change your character’s appearance. Players who want to look a certain way but get the best stat bonuses can change an item’s appearance via dye items, but the process is more cumbersome than necessary.

The Scott Pilgrim/River City Ransom feeling I allude to earlier comes in part from those shops you’ll visit. Many sell either eat-in or carry-out foodstuffs. Scarf some grub and it will replenish HP and maybe provide permanent stat boosts. Before long you’ll have more than enough money to afford limitless quantities of snacks and clothing, but for better or worse the developers have limited how much you can boost your stats at any given time.

Fight for your life

Fans of the genre should enjoy the actual combat in Charlie Murder. Players have a fast attack and a strong one with which they can combo enemies at length. Get a 20-hit combo and your team can perform a rampaging two-person co-op attack (pictured above). The grab button allows you to pummel or throw stunned enemies, often into spikes, blades, or acid that will deal extra damage. There is also a block button, though I never once used it.

Like Scott Pilgrim and River City Ransom, levels are scattered with an array of weapons for players or enemies to use. These range from melee weapons like axes and swords to guns, flame throwers, and grenades. They’re all a ton of fun to use but wear out quickly, as you’d expect.

In-fighting

The one major weakness of the combat is friendly fire. Charlie Murder is a 4-player cooperative game, but players can always hit each other – friendly fire can’t be turned off. You can adjust to this danger and keep clear of other players, but why should we have to?

And worse, forced friendly fire makes it easy for players to grief each other in online games. A high level player can join a game and pound away at other players, spoiling their time. The developers could easily have added an option to toggle friendly fire and the game would be so much the better for it.

Not your grandma’s beat-em-up

Beat-em-ups often lack variety of gameplay, but you can scarcely say that about Charlie Murder. The brawling levels often feature platforming challenges or puzzles. The construction area puzzle threatens to stop players cold though. It requires players to throw explosive barrels at switches in the background, a mechanic the game never teaches you beforehand. I had to look up the solution online, which COME ON, this is a beat-em-up.

Excursions into other game styles, on the other hand, definitely bring the game to life. The band often ends up riding brooms in shoot-em-stages, doing tricks on a skateboard, climbing ropes up a cathedral tower, and lots more. How many other brawlers involve aerial battles with a gigantic sasquatch? Not enough, I say!

Musical stares

Charlie Murder has no shortage of personality. The actual art style is very distinct and perfectly evokes the musical culture influences seen in other Ska games like Zombies on the Phone. I could do without the drab color palette that always drowns the studio’s visuals, but at least it’s appropriate for the game’s subject matter. The abundance of jokes and references to other games like Castlevania, Silent Hill, and Dust: an Elysian Tale largely makes up for the mopey colors anyway.

Anyone who’s played Zombies on the Phone should remember that game’s crazy lyrical rock ballad. Well, that song and new ones return in Charlie Murder. The tattoo shops you’ll visit even have a humorous Grand Theft Auto-like in-game radio station playing in the background. Ska Studios sells the soundtrack at Bandcamp and on vinyl.

Players will actually “perform” some of these songs in a minigame meant to simulate playing in a band. Music rhythm games played on a controller CAN be fun, but unfortunately this one is terrible. Each player must try to hit a series of buttons that scroll by non-stop and ridiculously fast. Performance on the music minigame doesn’t even affect progress in the game, so I eventually stopped trying.

Achievements

Charlie Murder is a long game, and its Achievements add a lot of replay value as well. Each character has a specific Achievement associated with his or her abilities, though the Achievement descriptions annoyingly don’t name the character. You’ll need to get both the good and bad ending of the game as well as playing through the unlockable harder difficulties. They get really tough, so make sure to bring a co-op partner or three.

At present, the Achievement for finding all 55 relics is glitched. The developers have already promised to fix it with a patch though.

Overall Impression

Xbox Live Arcade already has tons of great beat-em-ups like Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara, Double Dragon Neon, Scott Pilgrim, and Castle Crashers. Somehow, a tiny studio of two has produced a game that meets or beats those titles in quality.

Friendly fire and music minigame aside, Charlie Murder has everything you could ever want in a brawler: varied gameplay, lots of weapons, tons of levels, and endless personality. Fans of busting heads, rocking out to loud music, and gaming with friends should pick it up.

• Charlie Murder– XBLA – 370 MB - $9.99 – Xbox.com Link

We just reviewed Charlie Murder, an awesome downloadable Xbox 360 game. Now let's talk about free 360 games. Microsoft’s Games with Gold program got off to a decent start when Fable III became free for Gold members during E3 in June. The program, meant to compete with Playstation Plus’s free games giveaway, offers two or more downloadable games a month free to all Xbox Live Gold members.

Since then, July saw Defense Grid: The Awakening and Assassin’s Creed II go free. In August, Gold members received Crackdown, Dead Rising 2, and Dead Rising: Case Zero– probably the strongest month of free titles so far.

September starts on Sunday, and with it comes a new free game: Magic: the Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas will follow later in the month. Head past the break for details on both games!

Magic the Gathering 2013

Magic: the Gathering started the trading card genre of games in the nineties and remains one of the most popular trading card games in the world. Such a long-running game filled with thousands of cards, an expansive lore, and ever-changing rules can seem very daunting to get into. But the XBLA games are surprisingly easy to learn thanks to a helpful tutorial and generally great user interface.

Stainless Games releases new Duels of the Planeswalkers games annually, each entry introducing a new mix of decks to unlock and play with, gameplay tweaks, and new game types. 2013’s big addition is Planeschase mode. This mode features solitary Planes cards that affect gameplay for everyone at the table – basically, each plane represents a new environment for players to battle within. Changing the Plane or playing a new Phenomenon card really adds a dynamic wildcard element to Planeschase games.

Magic is best played with other players – this one supports competitive online multiplayer for up to 4 players. It also has a cooperative mode in which two players can team up locally against an AI Archenemy or online versus a human Archenemy. Don’t think Duels of the Planeswalkers is multiplayer only though. It boasts a full single-player Campaign and puzzle-like Challenge mode that can be a lot of fun and help you learn the fundamentals before going online.

Magic: the Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 regularly sells for $9.99. It will be free from September 1-15. If you enjoy card or strategy games, don’t miss it.

• Magic: the Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013– 1.27 GB – Xbox.com Link

Rainbow Six: Vegas

Though Ubisoft has let it rest for a while, the Rainbow Six series used to be one of their most popular games set within the Tom Clancy universe. Rainbow Six: Vegas casts players as a team of operatives tasked with defending the city of Las Vegas from an army of Mexican terrorists.

When playing alone, you’ll actually command the squad via controller commands or headset, providing a strategic layer to the third-person shooting. Each mission can also be played in 2-player split-screen co-op or 4-player online co-op, though the actual story scenes sadly don’t play in co-op. Vegas also supports 16-player versus play with a variety of game types. This is an older retail game, but the hordes of Gold subscribers getting it for free should revitalize the online mode for a spell.

Rainbow Six: Vegas regularly sells for $19.99. It will be free from September 16-30. Fans of military-style games and shooters should give it a try.

• Rainbow Six: Vegas– 6.6 GB – Xbox.com Link

Oldies but goodies

Both of September’s free games are quality titles – especially Magic 2013. But Magic is a year old and Rainbow Six: Vegas dates back to 2006. These games are unlikely to satisfy critics who complain that Playstation Plus subscribers get new releases games for free (though not to keep) while Microsoft gives dustier titles to Xbox Live Gold members. What do you guys think about these two titles?

Disney makes several fine games for Windows 8 and RT, but they’re all a bit pricey compared to their Windows Phone counterparts. Temple Run: Brave for instance, launched at $1.49 on Windows 8 but soon went up to $4.99. Actually, $4.99 is the regular price of all Disney tablet and PC games.

That’s why Disney fans will want to take advantage of the Disney Windows 8 sale going on this weekend. All of Disney’s non-Xbox games are on sale for $3.49, including the just-released Temple Run: Oz. Disney’s Windows Phone 8 titles are not affected by this sale. Full descriptions and Store links after the break!

Temple Run: Brave

Windows 8 still doesn’t have the original Temple Run for some reason. Spin-off Temple Run: Brave, first announced at GDC in March, actually became the first Windows 8 Temple Run game when it launched in May. Disney branding aside, both Brave and Oz are better than the first Temple Run, so we can’t complain too much about the mainline Temple Runs’ absence.

This game plays just like the original but with a coat of paint based on the so-so Disney animated film Brave. Players control Merida, the feisty red haired protagonist of the movie, who is being chased by the complete jerk wad of a bear called Mordu. She shoots targets with arrows, not unlike the shooting in Gunstringer: Dead Man Running.

The Windows 8 version features widescreen graphics that make it look on PCs and laptops but a bit worse on tablets since everything is smaller in a landscape orientation. Check out our full review for more details.

• Temple Run: Brave–  Windows 8 and RT – 39 MB – Store Link

Temple Run: Oz

If you’re a guy and thus probably don’t care about Brave or just a person who appreciates L. Frank Baum’s Oz series, this game based on Oz: The Great and Powerful might be more to your liking.

Players control the titular “wizard” himself as he dashes down the Yellow Brick Road and away from danger. This installment is based on Temple Run 2, which had mine cart sequences to break up the running. Here Oz rides a hot air balloon instead of a cart – a better side activity than Brave’s target shooting in my opinion.

• Temple Run:Oz–  Windows 8 and RT – 50 MB – Store Link

Where’s My Water?

Disney’s Where’s My Water? is the first in a series of physics puzzle games. This one stars Swampy the crocodile, a new creation as opposed to an existing character. The goal is to route a supply of water down to Swampy because he needs a bath. Players create a path for the water by digging away at the dirt. It’s a fun and simple mechanic.

• Where’s My Water? –  Windows 8 and RT – 88 MB – Store Link

Where’s My Perry?

Where’s My Perry?swaps out Swampy for Perry the Platypus from the Phineas and Ferb show. If you liked the first game, this one won’t disappoint.

• Where’s My Perry? –  Windows 8 and RT – 62 MB – Store Link

Where’s My Mickey?

Want even more water-directing fun? Where’s My Mickey? stars the one and only Mickey Mouse. It adds a few new mechanics like wind, rain, clouds, and plants to keep the puzzles fresh, and the art charms more than ever.

• Where’s My Mickey? –  Windows 8 and RT – 74 MB – Store Link

Toy Story: Smash It!

We haven’t covered it before, but Smash It! is a 3D physics puzzle game set in the Toy Story universe. You play as Buzz Lightyear and throw objects at the green aliens from the movies, trying to knock them over. Think of it as a 3D Angry Birds-style game, much like Wreckateer for XBLA.

It looks like Toy Story fans should have a smashing good time with this game. Just be advised that according to user reviews, Smash It! is incompatible with Windows RT and yet can still be purchased from RT devices.

• Toy Story: Smash It!–  Windows 8 only – MB – Store Link

We all have our favorite "go to" Windows Phone games for when we need to waste a little time. Time when you have ten minutes before quitting time and the only other option is to count paper clips. Times when you're waiting in line at the DMV to get your tag renewed, in the waiting room at the doctors or waiting for your take-out order to be ready at the restaurant where time seems to be at a stand still.

There are plenty of games in the Windows Phone Store that will keep you entertained and help the time pass by quicker. The Xbox Windows Phone game Yahtzee is one such game.

Not only do you have the classic game of Yahtzee to keep you busy but there are four other variations of the game to play as well as an adventure mode. There's plenty of gaming involved with Yahtzee, some room for improvement, and overall it's an appealing game for your Windows Phone.

While there are plenty of Yahtzee games available in the Windows Phone Store, the Xbox version is the official Yahtzee game for our Windows Phone. Unfortunately, all the "Xbox" in this official version is achievements and Xbox Live leaderboards.  Seems a little lacking.

Yahtzee Options, Achievements and Custom Play

Off the main menu you have options to play the Adventure Game, play a classic game, customize a game, view your achievements and leaderboards, view the extras (awards, player bios, and statistics), access the game's options and view the help/about screens.

Gaming options include cover music/sound options, a shake setting (for shaking the Windows Phone to roll the dice), turning on/off tutorials, and turning on/off speed play.

Your dice throws can be accomplished by tapping on the blue cup or shaking your Windows Phone. Just make sure you have a firm grip or your phone may go sailing across the room.

Yahtzee Classic and Rainbow games

The Yahtzee game modes include:

The Classic Game: This is your standard five dice game of Yahtzee where you roll the dice to match scoring established categories.

You are given five dice that you can roll three times. After each roll you can hold dice that can be used to build a match the various scoring categories.

You have upper category section which represents straight totals of dice and lower category section that require a little more effort to match. These lower categories include three of a kind, full-house, straights, etc.

Duplicate Yahtzee: Duplicate Yahtzee adds an element of strategy to the game. You and your opponent's dice rolls are identical. The outcomes of each turn vary based on the dice that you hold and those you choose to roll again.

In a nutshell, the fifteen dice rolls are identical for you and your opponent. You just need to make sure you pick the right ones to hold for the higher score.

Rainbow Yahtzee:  The Rainbow version of the game is played with colored dice (red, green and red) and has the same categories as the Classic Game but adds four additional scoring categories to the game. You can try to roll a colored flush or a colored full-house (two of one color, three of another).

Duplicate Rainbow Yahtzee: Similar to Duplicate Yahtzee but includes the colored dice.

Battle Yahtzee: This multiplayer game begins with each player having 100 points. You still roll the dice to match a scoring category but points earned are taken away from your opponent or replenish your score. When you match a lower scoring category (full-house, three of a kind, Yahtzee, etc.) the points are deducted from your opponent. When you match an upper category (ones, twos, threes, etc.) the points can be used to replenish your score.

The chance scoring category (the sum of all your dice) presents an interesting twist to Battle Yahtzee. When you choose that category another die is rolled to determine how the points are used. They can be used against all opponents, as health points to replenish your score or poison to reduce your score.

Yahtzee Adventure Game

The Adventure Game is a multi-stage game that has you battling various computer opponents. The Adventure Game has you playing all variations of Yahtzee. The further you advance in the Adventure Game, the more challenging the opponents become.  It's an entertaining way to play a wide variety of games but the only downside to the Adventure Game is that it is a little short lived.  You can have re-matches with the opponents but that can get a little old after a while.

If you are looking for a quick game, the Play Now option from the main menu will launch a Classic Game for you to enjoy. You can go into the Custom Play option and create a stand alone Rainbow, Battle or Duplicate game. The Custom Play has options to create a multi-player (pass and play) game for up to four of your friends.

Electronic Arts and Hasbro did a good job with the Yahtzee. It has plenty of gaming to keep the game from growing stale and the Adventure Game gives you an opponent when one may not be available. The game has a decent pace to it and if you want to speed things up when you're facing a computer opponent, just tap the screen to advance.

There are a few nits to this fine game though. First, and this is more cosmetic, every time you launch Yahtzee you are greeted with a screen asking if you want to enable game music and sound effects. Regardless of your answer, you are always greeted by this screen and it can be rather annoying. You should only have to answer once. If you want to change your mind, simply go into the gaming options.

Yahtzee launch screen, extras and achievements

Next, the Xbox features are rather weak. Sure, XBox achievements and leaderboards are nice but you can't help but think there should be more. You have a player profile in the Adventure Game but it's not linked to your XBox Live profile. You may not be able to have an animated player like your opponents but you would think a profile picture would be possible.

Another suggestion for improvement would be online play, the ability to challenge your Xbox Live friends to a friendly game.  Not sure if this is possible but it would be a nice feature to have.

Even with the slight room for improvement Yahtzee is an enjoyable Xbox Windows Phone game. Yahtzee is an appealing game that is a fun way to pass the time with. Graphics are becoming, sound effects are too bad and this XBox title has a lot of gaming to keep things from becoming stagnant. Granted the game genre may not appeal to everyone but if the dice game is up your alley, the Xbox Windows Phone game is worth a try.

There is a trial version available for Yahtzee that does have some limitations (mainly you have a points ceiling in the games). The full version of Yahtzee is currently running $2.99 and you can find it here in the Windows Phone Store.

Halo: Spartan Assault has been available on Windows Phone 8 for some time now, but there isn't a trial to take advantage of for a free go to see if the game is right for you. Now a lite version has been published that sports the first level to give you an insight into the gameplay and whether you feel it's worth the price tag. Perfect if you've never jumped into the Halo universe before or are hesitant at playing a Spartan on the small screen.

The title is a superb download for anyone who's interested in pouring a number of hours into an immersive game. Utilising familiar tactics and weaponry featured in earlier Halo games, players are tasked with combating the Covenant through a variety of missions. Here's a quick look at the gameplay (don't miss our full in-depth review): 

You can download Halo: Spartan Assault Lite from the Windows Phone Store for free (full version costs $6.99). Requires Windows Phone 8 and works on hardware with 512MB RAM.

Thanks, everyone, for the tips!

Last week we reviewed the Windows Phone game Yatzy Online and found it to be a decent Yahtzee styled game except for some annoying advertising banners. Banners that cover up the top portion of the screen, preventing you access to a few menu options.

We just received word from the game's developers that this overlapping of the ad-banner shouldn't be happening. A fix will be going out over the next week or so to correct this issue and until then, the developer has suspended the ad service.

We are still seeing ads on our version of Yatzy Online and It may take a little while for the ad banner to disappear once the service is turned off.  While the ads are a distraction it's nice to see developers respond when something isn't right about their app or game.

Yatzy Online is a free game that you can find here in the Windows Phone Store. When the ads return, you can make an in-app purchase of $2.99 to have the ads and the random upgrade notice removed.

Cosmorphosis Free is one of those Windows Phone games that is hard to put your finger on. It is a fast paced game that calls on you to tap targeted aliens that are bouncing about in space.

You've got to reach a target goal before time runs out and to help slow you down, a pesky UFO skitters about the screen dropping bombs. I'd call it a puzzle game but some may see it as more of an action game. Regardless of the genre, Cosmorphosis Free isn't a bad game to pass the time with on your Windows Phone.

You can play Cosmorphosis Free as a stand alone game or create an account with Cosmorphosis which lets you create a player profile. The main menu has options to jump into the game, buy the full version (on Cosmorphosis Free), check the high scores, access your gaming options and view the help screen.

Cosmorphosis Free's gaming options cover music/sound effects on or off, vibration on/off and the option to log in/out to your Cosmorphosis account.

When you first launch Cosmorphosis Free, the game will walk you through the help section that will cover the main thrust of game play. Cosmorphosis Free is a multi-level game where you are tasked with tapping targeted aliens as they bounce about in space, reaching a goal within a minute. The challenge being they constantly morph and you have to tap them as they morph into the correct target.

The game screen for Cosmorphosis Free has your target and goal information in the upper left corner and your timer in the upper right corner. To slow you down, a UFO will randomly fly across the screen dropping bombs designed to hinder your progress (freezes aliens, carbonite bombs making aliens untappable, etc.). You can defeat the UFO by tapping it four times before it crosses the screen and diffuse the bombs by tapping them twice. Each will earn you bonus points but will also take time away from the main task.

The further you progress in the game, the quicker the aliens morph and bounce around. Tapping the wrong alien will cost you points. There are three levels of difficulty (easy, medium and hard) to keep Cosmorphosis interesting.

Game play is rather simple but is not without challenge. Cosmorphosis Free has decent graphics, nice sound effects and will test your reflexes and concentration. There are two version available for Cosmorphosis. Cosmorphosis Free is an ad supported game that you can find here in the Windows Phone Store.

If you don't like the ads, there is a $.99 ad-free version of Cosmorphosis (has a few more levels as well) that you can pick up here at the Windows Phone Store. Both are compatible with Windows Phone 7.x and 8 devices.

Tank War 3D is a Windows Phone combat game that puts you in the role of tank commander with the mission to obliterate all the enemy tanks.  Tank Wars 3D has potential with over sixty missions to keep things from going stale too quickly, upgradeable tanks, and challenging game play.  But two things hold this game back, annoying ads and really small fonts that can make some of the screen difficult to read.

Another oddity is that the Windows Phone Store title is "Tank War 3D" but the gaming screens use the title "Tank Rivals".  Not exactly sure why the inconsistency is present but we'll go with the game's title that is listed in the Store.  Overall, Tank War 3D is worth a try.  The small print may not be an issue with some but the developer really needs to tame those full page ads.

The main menu for Tank War 3D has options to log into the game via your Facebook account, rate the app, view the credits and more games from the developer. You also have button controls that (from left to right) send you to your player profile, view your achievements, play the game, upgrade your tank, and visit the game's store.

You also have an option to purchase gold through in-app purchases off the main menu. Just tap on your gold count in the upper left side of the main menu to make the in-app purchases.

Game play with Tank Wars 3D have sixty missions spread out across four arenas that include an arena, forest, scifi, and Mars. The goal, as one would expect, is to blow up the enemy tanks before they blow you up.

The game screen has your shields and damage meters in the upper left corner of the screen, your ammo counts in the upper right and your vehicle control directional pad in the lower left corner. The vehicle d-pad controls your tanks movement. Tapping the screen controls your tanks weapon's fire.

Game play can be challenging but does require a little patience. You can't just go toe to toe with the enemy tanks or the game will be short lived. You'll need to take advantage of your tank's mobility and barricades to avoid getting blown up yourself.  Tank movement with the D-pad is smooth but tapping the screen to shoot isn't as accurate as you would think.  Your tank shot is in the general vicinity of your tap but don't expect button hole accuracy.

As you advance through the various missions you earn gold that can be used to upgrade and build new tanks. The tank you begin with isn't the strongest of military vehicles often being taken out with one hit. If you want to get a jump on things and build a better tank from the get-go, you have the in-app purchase of gold.

Graphics aren't bad and missions can be tough. The downsides to Tank War 3D include a really annoying ad and tiny fonts.

There are a lot of options in the Tank War 3D store with over a hundred options to choose from. The fonts used in Tank War 3D makes it really difficult to read what your buying. Granted my old eyes aren't what they used to be but I think someone with Superman like vision would have trouble reading things.

Tank War 3D is a free, ad-supported game that has an ad banner running across the bottom right corner of the screen. The ad banner isn't the problem, it's the full-screen ad that appears before you start a level that gets annoying. As I've said before, I can understand the need for ad-supported apps and games but the advertisement shouldn't take away from the game's entertainment value. Having to close out a full-screen ad before you move into game play takes away from Tank War 3D.

Again, Tank War 3D has possibilities. Game play will keep you on your toes, graphics are a little on the basic side but nice, and with sixty missions you have a healthy amount of gaming. But the hard to read fonts and annoying ad screen will turn many away.

Luckily, Tank War 3D is a free game so all you'll be out in trying the game out is the data needed to install it on your Windows Phone. Tank War 3D is compatible with both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x and you can pick it up here in the Windows Phone Store.

The Xbox One will launch with a 500 GB internal, non-interchangeable hard drive. 500 GB would be an awfully confining storage space in the modern age of game installations, and downloadable games, movies, and music. Microsoft’s solution for users who need more storage space is external hard drive support. The Xbox One will support USB 3.0 hard drives, giving users a potentially unlimited (and relatively affordable) amount of storage space.

Unfortunately though, Xbox One users will not be able to take advantage of external storage solutions at launch. Larry Hyrb (Xbox Live’s Major Nelson) quietly dropped the news this weekend on his podcast. Why the delay and how much impact will it have? Read on to find out…

The bombshell

Okay, so it’s more of a hand grenade than a bombshell, but still not what anyone could call good news:

“The Xbox One will ship with the 500 GB hard drive - all of them have that. The future plan is definitely to support external storage much like we do on the Xbox 360. My understanding is that feature will not be there at launch, because the team is working on some other things, but it is definitely on the list. I don't know when it will come in though.”

Delays, delays

It’s unusual but not unprecedented for features that were announced prior to a console’s launch to be delayed until some point after the system arrives in stores. Last year, the Nintendo Wii U’s TVii video on demand feature, as well as several video on demand apps like Netflix experienced just such a delay.

Still, delaying what should be a relatively simple feature – external drive support – is an odd move. In the absence of an official reason for the delay, we must guess at it. The only possible reason I can imagine for the delay involves digital rights management and encryption.

See, Microsoft knows users need to be able to install and run games from external drives; there’s no debate there. But they REALLY don’t want unscrupulous users (Brazilians… err, just kidding!) to copy those files around. This delay tells us that setting up that encryption is taking longer than expected; hence external drive support will come after launch instead of with it.

Little harm done, most likely

Is the delay a bad thing? Of course, but probably not that bad. It won’t actually inconvenience most users unless they fill up their hard drives before the update comes along that will enable the feature. Remember, every Xbox One game must be installed to the hard drive. People who buy or play a lot of games (like me) might run into trouble if the update takes too long. Also, anyone who plans to use their external hard drive to transport save files between multiple consoles (which also applies to me) won’t be able to do so right out of the gate. I expect that cloud saving will take care of that problem though.

We can’t fault Microsoft too much for not having external drive support ready for the Xbox One launch. Who knows what technical challenges they face in creating a new and secure encryption method? But the news would sting less if we knew a time frame in which to expect the support to be added. Perhaps Microsoft will say more about that before the system launches.

Meanwhile, no external drive support has been announced for the Playstation 4. However, like the Playstation 3 the internal hard drive will be upgradable by the user. Neither system's storage policy unequivocally wins out; it all comes down to user preference.

Source: Major Nelson'sblog via IGN

Beggars can’t be choosers. So even though Disney’s Wreck-it Ralph came out in theatres nearly a year ago, we’re happy to see the game adaptation finally appear in the Windows Phone Store. It’s nearly identical to the iOS game that’s been out for quite some time, so let’s go check it out.

Have you seen the movie? You should, it’s pretty good (this coming from a 25 year old man). If you like video games you’ll probably really enjoy Wreck-it Ralph. The game plays off the “Game Central Station” theme found in the movie. With Wreck-it Ralph on Windows Phone you’re basically getting a bunch of addictive mini-games inside one game. Here are the mini-games:

• Fix-it Felix Jr.
• Hero’s Duty
• Sweet Climber
• Turbo Time
• Flight Command

We won’t dive into what’s unique about each mini-game (we’ll save that for Paul’s review), but quickly let’s look at a few of the mini-games.

Fit-it Felix Jr. could be considered the “main” game inside Wreck-it Ralph. Ralph runs around breaking windows and you as Felix Jr. will be responsible to repair the building. The 8-bit graphics are pretty awesome and might give you a little splash of nostalgia as you play.

Sweet Climber is a fun take on the “Doodle Jump, but it’s been Disney-fied. You take control of Ralph in the endless climbing game as you jump from candy cane branch to candy cane branch. You’ll be using the accelerometer inside your phone to power the tilt controls.

You’ll need to unlock the other mini-games by playing the Fix-it Felix Jr. game.

Disney is offering the game for $0.99 for Windows Phone 8 devices. There is no free trial, but it’s hard to go wrong for just a buck.

Grab it in the Windows Phone Store, use the QR code below, or swipe to the right in our app. 

You can add Zombie Village as one of the many gaming titles making the move to Windows Phone. The game has had some success over on iOS and Android platforms and in just tinkering with the game for a short time, it comes across as a nice time waster of a game.

Zombie Village throws you into a village over run with...well...zombies. Your task, as is the case with most zombie games, is to kill as many zombies as possible before they eat your brains.  If you're into the zombie genre of games or just looking for a new game for your Windows Phone, Zombie Village is worth a try.

Zombie Village is a multi-level platformer styled game with options off the main menu to control sound effects and music. Records for zombie kills and highest level completed is also displayed on the main menu.

The gaming screen has your ammunition and cash count in the upper left corner, a pause button in the upper right corner and your directional/combat controls running across the bottom of the screen.

You have two weapons available to keep the zombies at bay. A baseball bat that will not only cause damage but will also push the approaching zombie back a few steps. You also have a firearm choice that ranges from a revolver to a sub-machine gun. You can upgrade your weapon with the money you earn (from wiping out zombies) in between gaming levels.

Game play has you traveling through the village, killing the zombies that pop-up from beneath the sidewalk. Along the way you can take safe haven in the many houses that line your travels. Just stop in front of the door and tap the screen. When you enter the house, you can earn bonus cash or extra ammunition. To re-enter the game, when the coast is clear, tap the screen again.

Zombies take multiple hits (by gun or bat) to go down. If they make contact with your character, they'll begin nibbling on your flesh. A small health meter appears over your character (who resembles a mini-Duke Nukem) to give you an idea how much fight is left in him.

If you survive the zombies, you will eventually make it to the end of the sidewalk where you move off-screen and advance to the next level. In between levels you'll have an opportunity to buy bigger and more powerful weapons and health packs. When you're through shopping, just move to the right of the screen to face more zombies.

Zombie Village makes a decent first impression. Graphics are rather peachy,  sound effects and music are nice with a classic horror feel, game play is challenging, and overall Zombie Village comes across as an entertaining way to pass the time.

Zombie Village is a free, ad-supported game for Windows Phone 7.x and 8 devices that you can pick up here in the Windows Phone Store.

via: Plaffo

Link is a formidable puzzle game for your Windows Phone where you must shift tiles about in an effort to build a connection between two colored dots.  The game reminds me of the sliding tile puzzle games where you have to shift the tiles into place to complete a picture.  

With Link you can shift tiles horizontally and vertically to create the connection but keep in mind, as you shift one tile, the others are effected.  Some puzzles can be solved in a few moves while others are more involved.

There's not many bell and whistles to Link but the game really doesn't need many to keep you entertained. If you're looking for an enjoyable, challenging puzzle game for your Windows Phone Link might just fit the bill.

The main menu for Link has options to jump into the game, evaluate/rate the game over in the Windows Phone Store, view other games from the developer and follow the game over on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. A mute button sits in the upper right corner of the main menu and serves as the only game setting.

When you first begin the game, Link will walk you through a few tutorial levels of play. After which you have forty levels to tackle in the trial version and 120 levels in the paid version. The levels are spread out across six difficulty levels.

The game board has your grid of tiles with colored dots scattered along the outside of the tile grid. The tiles have various colored lines and angles that have to be moved about to connect the dots with a path of corresponding colored tiles.

When you make the connection with all the colored dots, you advance to the next level. A reset button sits at the top of the screen if you feel the need to start from scratch and a move counter will display how many moves it takes to complete the puzzle. According to the Store description, some puzzles will take over 200 moves to complete.

While you're not scored on the number of moves it takes to solve a puzzle, the number is displayed on the game's level display. You can always replay each level to see if you can solve things in fewer moves.

Link is a puzzle game that will test your powers of observation and deductive skills. Each move effects the entire puzzle board so you'll need to think ahead and plan your moves carefully. Link may not be an action packed game but it's still a fun game to have in your Windows Phone library nonetheless.

There is a free trial available for Link which is ad-supported and limited to the first forty puzzle levels. The full version drops the ads, adds another eighty levels to the game and is running $.99. Link is available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices and you can find Link here in the Windows Phone Store.

When it comes to gaming on mobile devices, there are two groups: the hardcore and the casual gamer. Our in house gamer Paul Acevedo falls into the former category, where I, your humble Editor, prefer the latter. Gaming for me is something I do for a few minutes here and there, with nary a thought on nailing those achievements.

That’s why Armed Strike, for Windows Phone 7.x and 8, has piqued my interest. It reminds me of the classic game ‘1942’ but updated for 2013. For one, it scrolls to the side (instead of up) and the graphics are quite tantalizing. It’s also that whole World War II plane thing, though it doesn’t look like you can do a flying loop.

The game play is straightforward: you’re a pilot in WWII taking on the Germans and Japanese. Move your aircraft around oncoming bombers, blow up blimps for power-ups and unlock secret weapons. Later you hop into a boat to change up the experience! Honestly, what more do you need? (Make sure you watch the video trailer above to see it in action).

At the end of each campaign you take on a Boss, usually some large imposing aircraft and because you have four difficulty settings, nothing is too hard to beat. At the end of the stage, there’s a little info card on the Boss you just fought, including real info on the plane. It’s a nice touch.

The game is surprisingly smooth after a recent 1.1 update, addressing some control and loading issues. I have no complaints in that regard, though everyone has their ideal sweet spot for virtual joysticks.

But really, it’s the graphics, including pretty sweet explosions and highly detailed backgrounds that we enjoy. The music isn’t too bad either, especially when fighting a boss, as it makes the scene feel a tad more epic. Other features include:

• 10 great missions
• 5 different player´s entities
• 10 end level bosses
• Over 40 different kinds of enemies in the air, on land and water
• Additional bonus missions, new bosses, player entities and enemies in free updates!
• Upgrades and special weapons
• Campaign mode (from the beginning of the war till the end)
• Replay mission mode (you can play your favorite mission whenever you want or just improve your score, skills or your pilot´s career)
• Large achievements system
• Career promotion (from the Airman to the General)
• On-line score and 46 achievements, you can compare your score with your friends on different platforms!

The game now comes in two varieties: Paid (with free trial) or Free (with ads). What’s neat though is the developer added a 99 cent in-app purchase to the free, ad supported version in case you like it so much that you want to unlock it and remove those ads. It’s a great idea and keeps things simple.

Armed Strike, either free or the modest 99 cents, is a fun, classic arcade style game. It should keep the occasional gamer happy in addition to the more dedicated gamers in the crowd. It's get my Editor's Choice nod because it's quite impressive, especially for a dollar.

The game is available on iOS and Windows Phone, but not Android at the moment, which is a nice twist. A Windows 8/RT version is also on the way.

Armed Strike Paid ($0.99 with trial) here or the new Armed Strike Free here (with ads, IAP to unlock); Windows Phone 7.x and 8 supported