Games

MonsterUp has been around for as long as I can remember on Windows Phone. Paul reviewed it over two years ago to give you an idea. Since then, it’s received continued support from the developer in the form of updates and feature addictions. Its sequel, MonsterUp Adventures is even more addicting than the original and adds a story element to it. And now it’s free until Sunday.

In a one-two punch, Microsoft has published both Galactic Reign for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 with full Xbox integration. The game itself is a somewhat typical space-conquest game, whereby users take turns to advance a strategy. But it’s the details in the game, customization and sheer massive gameplay that is really intriguing.

Throw in the fact that you can continue your game on our phone once you leave your desktop and now we’re really intrigued.

Microsoft hasn't pushed gaming enough on Windows Phone, which has been adequately covered in our series of editorials by Paul Acevedo. We've gone into some detail as to who Microsoft can save Xbox Games for Windows Phone, but it seems the company does have plans to tackle the issue. Still aiming for the "Three Screens" goal, Microsoft is looking to release some titles in the future to take advantage of cross-platform support.

Get the guns ready, sound the alarm, throw some headphones on and prepare to whip some alien ass in the latest title from developer 10tons. Boom Brigade 2, sequel to the popular iOS game, puts the player in control of troops and the overall defense, while waves of aliens attempt to seek and destroy. Think turret defense with more action and elements from line drawing. The result is an action-packed experience on Windows Phone.

Last week, Gameloft kicked off their much anticipated wave of Xbox releases for Windows Phone 8 with Asphalt 7, a game I call the best racer on the platform in our review. They’ve followed up this week with the very strong The Amazing Spider-Man and the not-so-strong and highly skippable Real Soccer 2013. With at least 9 more games coming, including first-person shooters, action games, and even an MMORPG, it’s safe to say that Gameloft will keep Windows Phone gamers pretty busy this year.

Similarly, Electronics Arts and its subsidiaries Chillingo and PopCap have produced a ton of fine mobile Xbox games as Nokia exclusives within the past few months. All of the Nokia EA games are expected to become available to general Windows Phone audiences six months after release, so they really do benefit the platform as a whole.

However large and prolific they might be, publishers Gameloft and Electronic Arts can’t keep the Xbox Windows Phone lineup afloat all by themselves. The world of smartphone gaming is vast indeed. iOS and Android thrive thanks to many game developers and publishers, both great and small. Today we continue our ‘How Microsoft can save Xbox Games for Windows Phone’ editorial series with a look at the game makers that our platform needs in order to thrive.

Last month we were excited to learn that Ubisoft’s Rayman Jungle Run would be coming to Windows Phone at some point in the future. The combination of endless runner with actual levels and the lovable Rayman is just what our favorite smartphone platform needs. What we didn’t know is that Jungle Run would also be coming to PC and tablet via Windows 8 and RT. Happy surprise - it’s out now and Xbox Live-enabled!  Plus it gives us a great idea of what to expect when the phone game comes along.

The Unity team (behind the Unity video game engine that powers a number of popular titles) has announced on the official blog that the Windows Store apps early access programme is kicking off. With Unity 4.2, developers will be able to create games for computers and tablets running Windows 8 and RT, publishing them on the Windows Store.

This opens up the floodgates for both developers and consumers to connect with Unity-powered content, but what about Windows Phone?

OMG: Our Manic Game didn’t exactly set the gaming world on fire, but it did hold the distinction of being the only shoot-em-up available when Windows Phone 7 launched back in 2010. Its best feature is its neon-colored vector art, a style later seen in games like geoDefense and BulletAsylum. OMG has two major strikes against it though. One is a control bug that prevents the player’s ship from staying at the bottom of the screen. Worst of all, it’s not compatible with Windows Phone 8.

Unfortunately, it looks like neither of those problems will ever be fixed. Arkedo Studio, the French studio behind Our Manic Game, has ceased game development. Read on to learn what the future has in store for both the developer and their Xbox Windows Phone game.