must have

Must-Have Xbox Live games for your Windows Phone

Games

By Paul Acevedo, Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 8:35 am

Best Xbox Live Games for Windows Phones

Today WPCentral is pleased to bring you a new entry in our ‘Best apps for your Windows Phone’ series. Past installments have included Must-have Games, Word Games, Free Apps, Photography Apps, Weather Apps, and Must-Have apps. Our Must-Have Games and Word Games articles already covered a ton of great Windows Phone titles, so where do we go from here? Let’s focus on just the top few Xbox Live games this time out.

If you’re new to Windows Phone, the distinction between Xbox Live games and regular ones (usually called indie games here) might seem confusing. Xbox Live is Microsoft’s multi-platform gaming brand/service. Xbox Live debuted on the original Xbox console but really came into its own with the Xbox 360, where downloadable games are called Xbox Live Arcade games. Xbox Live titles on Windows Phone are basically the equivalent of XBLA games: high-profile downloadable games that (usually) undergo a rigorous certification process. On Windows Phone, the chief advantages of Xbox Live games (beyond increased marketplace visibility) are Leaderboards, Achievements, and occasional connectivity with Xbox 360 titles (which we’ll save for another article).

Head past the break for more Xbox Live primer plus our picks for the top five best Xbox Live games!

Must-have games for your Nokia Lumia 900

By Paul Acevedo, Wednesday, Apr 11, 2012 at 7:50 am

WPCentral's list of the best games for the Lumia 900

You've read our Must-have apps for the Nokia Lumia 900, now it's time for the games...

One of Windows Phone’s most attractive features to gamers is its Xbox Live integration. All Xbox Live games feature Achievements and online friends leaderboards, making it easy to compare and show off your progress with your pals. Every Wednesday Microsoft releases a new Xbox Live title, which come in the following price ranges: free, $2.99, $4.99, and $6.99.

With over 100 Xbox Live titles released so far and many more on the way, new users like those who’ve just picked up the Nokia Lumia 900 (review) might have a tough time deciding which games to grab first. Factor in the abundance of indie games and there’s even more to choose from. Fear not, friends – I’ve played nearly every single Xbox Live game on Windows Phone, and reviewed most of them for this very site. If anyone can help, it’s WPCentral.

Read past the break to learn what I think are the best...

Must-have apps for your Nokia Lumia 900

By Daniel Rubino, Saturday, Apr 7, 2012 at 3:26 pm

WPCentral's list of the best apps for the Lumia 900

Although veterans of this site will know what are some of the best, must-have-apps are for Windows Phone, new users coming to the platform with the Lumia 900 (review) will not. So for our new friends, we'll get you started on some of the most popular, useful and impressive apps for Windows Phone.

Sure, we "only" have around 70,000 apps but that's still a heck of a lot to sift through. And since we've personally installed over 1,200 apps and games on our Windows Phone, we think we can lend a hand.

So without further ado, here's our list...

Hydro Thunder Go coming on May 25. Full 6 Weeks of Must-Have Games schedule revealed

Games

By Paul Acevedo, Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 6:47 pm

Windows Phone gamers have been anxiously awaiting the start of the 6 Weeks of Must Have Games promotion. It was initially thought to begin in April, but then we learned it had been pushed back to an unspecified date. Shortly thereafter at MIX 2011, Joe Belfiore announced that Angry Birds would come out on May 25, so everyone assumed that the Must-haves would roll out then.

As it turns out, May 25 does indeed mark the start of the 6 Weeks of Must Have Games. But Angry Birds won’t be next week’s Xbox Live release after all. Instead, that honor goes to Hydro Thunder Go, the only Windows Phone-exclusive title in the Must-Have lineup. Leading with the strongest title is a smart idea, as Hydro Thunder Go has some great buzz surrounding it. Hydro Thunder Go will launch on May 25 at the very fair price of $4.99.

But that’s not all! We’ve got the full Xbox Live release schedule for the next 6 weeks, including prices and screenshots. Head past the jump for the exciting details.