Xbox Live

Monopoly is the Xbox Live Deal of the Week

Windows Phone News

By Paul Acevedo, Wednesday, Apr 6, 2011 at 3:00 am

It’s time for another Xbox Live Deal of the Week! Get ready to roll around the town with Uncle Pennybags, because this week’s sale title is Monopoly, down from $4.99 to the sale price of $2.99.

The Windows Phone 7 version of Monopoly was developed by Babaroga Interactive (makers of Zombies!!!) and published by Electronic Arts. Our Monopoly review praises its faithfulness to the original board game and support of customizing the game rules. We would have liked to see online multiplayer, but it does at least support local multiplayer. The Deal of the Week price should make offline-only Monopoly a lot more palatable. This also raises hopes that we may see other Electronic Arts titles go on sale eventually – I’m looking at you, Sims 3!

Monopoly goes on sale sometimes after midnight tonight, and the sale lasts for one week. It will cost $2.99, and there is a free trial. Grab it here on the Marketplace.

Xbox Live: Must Have Games not starting on April 6

Windows Phone News

By Paul Acevedo, Tuesday, Apr 5, 2011 at 10:48 am

Back in February, WPCentral reported on the Xbox Live 6 weeks of Must Have Games promotion. Basically, every Wednesday for 6 weeks, a high-profile game will come to Xbox Live.

We expected the promotion to begin on April 6, but it turns out that won’t be the case. This week’s Xbox Live title is Super Monkey Ball, which will cost $4.99. Read our impressions here. Who Wants to be a Millionaire also comes out that day, but only in territories outside of North America.

April 13 will see the release of Harbor Master and Centipede. Thus the earliest the Must Have Games promotion could start is April 20, but it might be even later. Update: When contacted, Microsoft would only confirm Spring as the promotion's launch date. We'll surely hear from them again in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

For now, let’s look at the Must Have Games themselves:

Hydro Thunder Go – The only Windows Phone-exclusive of the bunch. Go is the mobile adaptation of Hydro Thunder Hurricane, the latest entry in the popular boat-racing series. Go’s 3D graphics and water effects are probably the best Windows Phone 7 has seen. Follow this link for a video trailer and our first impressions.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I – Sonic 4 marks the return to side-scrolling gameplay for everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog. The series has been marred by lackluster 3D titles in recent years. Sonic 4 doesn’t quite match the quality of the 16-bit Sonic games, but it’s still a worthwhile platformer. The mobile version of Sonic 4 was developed concurrently with the console title and features different stage layouts. Follow this link for our first impressions.
Plants vs Zombies – From the makers of Bejeweled comes a unique tower defense game in which players place plants in strategic locations across lawns, swimming pools, and rooftops in order to fend off an army of cartoonish zombies. The PC version of Plants vs Zombies is one of my all-time favorite games.
geoDefense – A challenging tower defense game that features neon-colored vector graphics, much like the Geometry Wars series of shooters. geoDefense is a pretty game, but is it really that popular?
Doodle Jump – The original jumping game makes its way to Xbox Live. Tilt the phone to steer Doodle Jumper up a never-ending series of platforms, much like MonsterUp. Knock out enemies by furiously tapping on them. Windows Phone gamers may already know Doodle Jumper from his Parachute Panic cameo.
Angry Birds – One of the most popular mobile games of all-time rounds out the Must Have Games promotion. Launch birds out of a slingshot in order to collapse structures and eliminate the pigs who’ve stolen the birds’ eggs. The Windows Phone version of Angry Birds has a whopping 195 levels.

Harbor Master - Exclusive preview

Windows Phone News

By Paul Acevedo, Monday, Apr 4, 2011 at 8:18 am

A couple of weeks ago we reported that Harbor Master was probably coming to Xbox Live on April 13. Developer Imangi Studios recently confirmed that release date is correct, so we thought it would be a good time to bring you a full preview of the game.

Firemint’s Flight Control is a well-known line-drawing game. The game presents players with a simple 2D overhead map with two or more runways and helicopter landing pads. Planes and helicopters enter the screen randomly and the player must direct them to the appropriate runway/landing pad by drawing pathways. Vehicles are color coded and must be sent to the same colored destination. They also vary in size and speed, but they’re all worth one point each when landed. As an aircraft lands, it disappears and the player is free to worry about other oncoming planes. It’s a simple formula that becomes more challenging as the number of incoming planes increases.

Imangi Studios saw an opportunity to improve on the line-drawing formula with their own title, Harbor Master. At first glance it looks similar to Flight Control, but Imangi has made a lot of tweaks that result in a different and more interesting game.

Right from the start, Harbor Master’s focus on boats instead of planes changes the line-drawing experience. Each map has land forms and structures that boats must navigate around in order to dock. Thus maps require unique strategies as players create shipping lanes based around map’s shapes.

Steer past the jump for our full preview with plenty of screenshots and exclusive details straight from the developer...

Fable Coin Golf - Review

Apps

By George Ponder, Monday, Apr 4, 2011 at 12:06 am

The Xbox game Fable has been around for years, dating back to the first generation Xbox consoles. It is a widely popular game (it even has its own Wiki Page) that is on its third installment (fourth if you count the Lost Chapters) and has now come to your Windows Phone. Well, in a manner of speaking.

Fable Coin Golf is a companion game to the XBox 360 console game and incorporates several elements of Fable III in a table top golf game. The object, as described in the Marketplace, is to "rid the land of evil and conquer each area by getting your Hero Puck into the Pillar of Light in as few shots as possible." The evil in which is spoken of includes characters from the video game including Hobbes, Balvarines, Hollow Men and other colorful characters who are intent on destroying you.

Fable Coin Golf is a wonderfully presented game that has challenging moments that border on being a pain. To find out more about this XBox Live game for your Windows Phone, slide on past the break.

WP7 Surprise TV Advertisement

Windows Phone News

By Rich Edmonds, Sunday, Apr 3, 2011 at 12:08 pm

This is a pretty neat advertisement on the WindowsPhoneUK channel, hoping to see it aired on ITV every three seconds (notably the worst TV channel on the planet for the sheer volume adverts inbetween programmes). Throw in a British accent that sounds similar to some video game podcasters and you got yourself a winner.

We also seem to be travelling down the route in having WP7 adverts for each network like the iPhone - same advert, but the ending is edited to included o2, Orange, T-Mobile, Three, Vodafone etc. Have you seen this aired on the big screen?

Via: Daily Mobile

Follow up: Bringing your Xbox Live Avatar to life

Windows Phone News

By George Ponder, Friday, Apr 1, 2011 at 9:18 pm

Some time ago we reported that Microsoft was partnering with two companies to created detailed 3D figurines and posters of your Xbox Live Avatar. In a way, bringing your avatar to life. While the 6ft tall poster from Fathead wasn't personally appealing, Dan and I both took the plunge and had FigurePrints create a figurine of our avatars.

It took about four weeks for the little guys to make it to from the assembly line to the doorstep and they look good. The figurine is about four inches high (five inches if you include the base) and base displays your gamer tag. Underneath the base is a Microsoft Tag that will link to your Xbox Live Gamer Card so you can easily share all your Xbox Live info.

The Figureprint will run you $60 (including shipping) and the only downside, as mentioned earlier, is that some elements are not available due to licensing restrictions. It would have been nice to have my mini-me wearing its Auburn University t-shirt. Regardless, I think Figureprints did an exceptionally good job at creating these figurines.

Oh...and for the World of Warcraft fans, Figureprints will also create a 3D figuring of your Warcraft character as well. You can find all the information on the World of Warcraft Figureprints here.

Revolution - Review

Apps

By Tim Ferrill, Friday, Apr 1, 2011 at 6:02 am

When Microsoft announced Xbox Live support for Windows Phone 7, they appealed to developers to use a control set that was natural to the device. For example Microsoft doesn’t want developers to settle for creating virtual buttons and joysticks on the screen, they want to see user interfaces that consist of using touch and gestures to navigate the experience. One of the games that best exemplifies this push towards a simplified UI is Revolution.

As puzzle games go on Windows Phone 7 devices Revolution isn’t the most visually stimulating and it isn’t a classic like Tetris, Bejeweled, or Hexic. Revolution’s strength lies in the simplicity of its graphics and controls. Keep reading to see what I mean.

Pros:

Simple graphics, intuitive UI.

Cons:

Not really a classic puzzle game, some achievements require serious playing time.

I Love Katamari - Review

Games

By Paul Acevedo, Wednesday, Mar 30, 2011 at 9:34 pm

The original Katamari Damacy was a sleeper hit when it launched on Playstation 2. It featured a rather unique premise, with the King of All Cosmos requiring the young Prince to roll up tons of objects into a sticky ball called a Katamari. The prince goes from picking up small objects like pencils to gigantic fare like buildings and even islands, creating an amazing sense of scale. Japanese wackiness and humor abounds.

There really is nothing like the Katamari Damacy series, so I was thrilled when Namco released the game on Windows Phone 7 as an Xbox Live title. Then again, I love Katamari comes from the same developer who brought a rather lackluster Pac-Man port to Windows Phone 7, so quality was not guaranteed. I’m pleased to report that while I Love Katamari has a couple of serious issues, its personality and spirit still remain intact.

Roll past the break for our full review.

Super Monkey Ball rolling to Xbox Live on April 6

Windows Phone News

By Paul Acevedo, Wednesday, Mar 30, 2011 at 7:40 pm

Since the debut of Xbox Live on Windows Phone 7, we’ve seen games from a few large console developers like Konami and Namco. Sega is finally throwing its hat into the ring with next week’s Xbox Live title, Super Monkey Ball.

Super Monkey Ball 2 was previously thought to be coming to Xbox Live based on its Achievements listing at Xbox360Achievements. Achievements listings don’t always turn out to be correct, though – the same site listed Katamari Damacy as coming to Windows Phone 7, but then the actual game ended up being I Love Katamari. It now looks like instead of porting the (much superior) Super Monkey Ball 2 from iPhone, Sega chose to start with the original.

Super Monkey Ball places players in control of one of several monkeys-inside-a-ball. Actually, you don’t control the monkey ball directly. By tilting the course itself, you can try to collect bananas and navigate the ball towards each level’s goal, all without falling off the course’s edge. This version of the game uses tilt controls exclusively for steering while the touch screen rotates the camera. The courses feature some pretty basic 3D graphics but the monkey balls themselves are 2D sprites. Mini-games, for which the Super Monkey Ball series is famous, are not present in the first mobile Super Monkey Ball. Still, the game has over 100 stages, so it should keep players busy for a good while.

Super Monkey Ball comes to Xbox Live on Wednesday, April 6. It will cost $4.99. Xbox Live games always have free trials, so smart gamers will give those tilt controls a try before rolling out money for a purchase.

Thanks to Whitney Strong at Edelman for the screens and info!

Four avatar items on sale through April 1st

Windows Phone News

By Paul Acevedo, Tuesday, Mar 29, 2011 at 10:59 pm

One of the fun benefits of Xbox Live integration on Windows Phone 7 is that users can view and edit their avatars on the go. Some avatar items are free, while many of them cost money.

A quartet of avatar goods are currently on sale for fifty percent off. These must be purchased through a PC or Mac web browser or an Xbox 360 console before equipping them to your avatar.

Ninjas - Black Horned Samurai Outfit (Male or Female) - 120 Microsoft Points ($1.50) - 50% off Star Wars - Chewbacca Wookie Costume (Male or Female) - 160 Microsoft Points ($2) - 50% off

Ninjas - Black Horned Samurai Outfit (Male or Female) - 120 Microsoft Points ($1.50) - 50% off
Star Wars - Chewbacca Wookie Costume (Male or Female) - 160 Microsoft Points ($2) - 50% off
Fantasy Pets - Minotaur Companion - 120 Microsoft Points ($1.50) - 50% off
Fierce Moves - Break Dancing - 160 Microsoft Points ($2) - 50% off

Avatar pets are not currently viewable on Windows Phone 7. The Fierce Moves item is actually a break dancing animation for your avatar. We can’t confirm whether premium avatar moves are actually viewable on Microsoft’s mobile platform, but we’ll update if we find out.

The sale runs through April 1st, no fooling. A ton of Xbox Live Arcade games (Xbox 360 only) are on sale during the same time period. Head past the break for the full list.

Xbox 360: System Update Preview program begins in 2 weeks, apply now

Windows Phone News

By Paul Acevedo, Tuesday, Mar 29, 2011 at 9:20 pm

Many Windows Phone owners also have Xbox 360s, so we’re bringing you this bit of Xbox 360 news.

The Xbox 360 receives system updates once or twice a year (no carrier blocking either, thank goodness). Before these big updates come around, Microsoft usually runs an open beta to eliminate the kinks and make sure everything’s working right. Sign-up for this year’s open beta has just started.

Some notes about Xbox 360 System Update Preview program:

The program is open to US residents only.
Thousands of applicants will be selected. Still, signing up early is recommended.
Xbox Live Gold members will receive priority, but 'lowly' Silver members can sign up too.

What changes will the update feature? One is a new Xbox 360 disc format is coming. This could be an anti-piracy measure. But the big feature is of course Kinect improvements including the rollout of avatarKinect, which gives your Avatar a new lease on life, hosting shows and making videos--very cool stuff. We would love to see some Windows Phone 7 integration on the dashboard too. It does currently have some ads and videos, but that’s it.

WPCentral’s Daniel Rubino has already completed registration. I tried but received an error after confirming my email address. To throw your hat in, Sign up for the Xbox LIVE Update Preview Program. Good luck!

UPDATE: Good news: participants in the preview will receive a free copy of Halo Reach. Bad news: registration is now closed. Hope you got in, everybody.

Source: Major Nelson

Xbox Live: April 13 game releases leaked 2 weeks early?

By Paul Acevedo, Saturday, Mar 26, 2011 at 7:50 am

There was a time when we didn’t know what games were coming out on Xbox Live until the night before they launched. Those dark ages are behind us now, thank goodness. Lately we’ve been alerted to Xbox Live release dates more and more in advance. Now, it seems we may have learned about the release date of two Xbox Live titles more than two weeks before the fact!

Has my intensive course in astrology finally paid off? Venus isn’t in the right house to say for sure. Instead, the Xbox.com Windows Phone 7 page has provided a possible glimpse of the future. We’ve mentioned before that the page’s Too Many Games section lists a few unreleased games along with most current Xbox Live titles. The release dates of upcoming games are usually left blank. While pouring over each game’s product pages, however, we discovered two games with April 13 release dates listed. The date could be a placeholder or an error, but it’s tantalizing to think about.

What do we know about these April 13 maybes? Head past the jump and all your questions will be answered.

Full House Poker - Review

Games

By Paul Acevedo, Thursday, Mar 24, 2011 at 9:44 am

One of the most exciting benefits of Xbox Live games on Windows Phone 7 is the possibility of connectivity. Crackdown: Project Sunburst unlocks a few bonus features in Crackdown 2 on Xbox 360, but that’s only the tip of the ice berg. Full House Poker, developed by Krome Studios and published by Microsoft, integrates more fully with its Xbox 360 counterpart than any game yet.

Full House Poker is a Texas hold ‘em poker simulator. Poker is very well-suited to mobile game play as you can play a hand in no time at all. Full House Poker’s affordable price and the fact that practically everybody loves poker means the game was bound to sell well on Windows Phone 7 no matter what. Thankfully the developers went the full mile and made not just a mobile poker game but a top-notch one as well.

Head past the break for our full house review.

Fable Coin Golf coming to Xbox Live on March 30

By Paul Acevedo, Wednesday, Mar 23, 2011 at 6:22 pm

Just two weeks after Full House Poker’s launch on Xbox Live, Microsoft Game Studios will debut another big first-party title. Fable Coin Golf is coming on March 30!

Fable Coin Golf’s gameplay is based on British pub games like Bar Billiards. Players try to shoot the Hero Puck into the Pillar of Light in as few shots as possible while collecting gold and other items along the way. Authentic enemies from Microsoft’s Fable role-playing franchise and other hazards ensure a lively experience. The game features sharp, cartoonish 3D graphics that really take advantage of the Windows Phone 7 hardware.

Fable Coin Golf also connects to other Fable games. Gold earned in the Windows Phone 7 version transfers to Fable III on Xbox 360 and PC. Interestingly, Fable Coin Golf was originally intended to launch on March 2, alongside the Fable III “Traitor’s Keep” DLC. Instead, I Love Katamari was the March 2 Xbox Live release. Fable Coin Golf has seen some delays, but at least we’ll still be coin golfing before March is out.

Fable Coin Golf is launching as an Xbox Live title on March 30. It will cost $4.99. We’ll have a full review shortly after its release.

See our video hands on from CES after the break...

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PES 2011 for Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone now in the Marketplace

Games

By Daniel Rubino, Wednesday, Mar 23, 2011 at 10:14 am

We've known about Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 for sometime now, even that it was going to be $4.99 and sure enough, it has landed. The application is quite hefty in size (74MB), requiring a WiFi connection to download, so best to grab it at home before heading out. From the app description (note: we removed their spelling errors, nice)

The unrivaled and award-winning football simulation is entering its first season on Windows Phone 7! Immerse yourself in unprecedented football atmosphere and the true PES experience with PES 2011. Features:

Unrivaled realism: Experience incredible gameplay and focus on tactics, goals and winning trophies while competing against the most advanced team and player AI on the market. Striking animations such as referee cut-scenes or goal celebrations and technical moves (diving header, bicycle kick, and more) will make you feel the beauty of the game.

Exclusive UEFA Club Competitions: PES 2011 includes many of the best European club teams in the officially licensed UEFA Champions League™ and UEFA Europa League™ modes.

Online connectivity: Prove your skills and unlock the various Xbox LIVE achievements, compare yourself to your friends, make it to the top of the leaderboards and become the world’s greatest PES player

Outstanding Accessibility for Beginners and Experts: The uniquely designed true flowTM control system provides instant access for players of all levels by utilizing the accelerometer and AI-supported touch controls. More advanced players are presented with unlimited freedom of play by being able to master classic console-style controls with virtual pad and buttons.

Stunning graphics: Detailed stadiums, pitches and weather effects provide the perfect visual environment for exciting matches

First impression: massive game with huge initial load time (even with 'NoDo'), the game is nonetheless impressive. Must for soccer fans. Grab it here in the Marketplace.

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Women's Murder Club - Review

Games

By Paul Acevedo, Monday, Mar 21, 2011 at 12:07 pm

James Patterson is a best-selling author who, critics say, writes fairly crummy books. His Women’s Murder Clubs series of novels includes ten books and spawned a short-lived TV series. There have also been several video game adaptations. Windows Phone 7 gamers everywhere, surely, are clamoring for such a game, and thankfully developer Vivid Games and publisher I-Play have heard gamers’ desperate calls. Women’s Murder Club: Death in Scarlet is an Xbox Live title you won’t want to miss!

The Women’s Murder Club isn’t actually a group of people who kill women for sport. Instead, “the series revolves around the lives of four women in San Francisco – a homicide detective, an assistant district attorney, a medical examiner and a newspaper reporter – who come together to use their expertise and talents in their respective fields to solve murder cases,” says Wikipedia. Compelling! Death in Scarlet takes that exciting premise and makes a pretty decent hidden-object game.

Flip past the break for our review’s thrilling conclusion!

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Harbor Master for Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone leaks in Marketplace

Windows Phone News

By Daniel Rubino, Saturday, Mar 19, 2011 at 3:13 pm

Although next week's game will be Pro Evolution Soccer 2011, it looks like another game is close to release and this one no one knew about: Harbor Master.

By clicking this link (either on your phone or desktop) you'll be taken to the Zune Marketplace where you'll see the placeholder for the Xbox LIVE game, including a single screenshot. Unfortunately, you can't download and are met with an error if you try to do so.

Harbor Master, one of the most popular games for mobile devices, is essentially the water version of Flight Control. Up till now, this game hasn't been known about as it wasn't listed in the original 50 nor the upcoming big-releases for April. From the description:

"The best selling addictive action game Harbor Master is now available on Windows Phone 7!

Relax and let the sounds of te sea transport you far away. You are the Harbor Master in a busy harbor. Direct boats into the docks, watch them upload their cargo, and direct them off the screen. But be careful not to let the boats crash, and watch out for the pirates, monsters and cyclones!

With seven maps to explore, each with its own twist and challenge, and Xbox LIVE leaderboards and achievements to compete on, you won't be able to put it down!"

Original release date was 3/9/2011 but we're hoping for this Wednesday instead. Reportedly, the game will fetch for $2.99 and will have 20 achievements.

via: 1 Million Gamerscore; Thanks, mydefposse, for the tip!

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Xbox.com Windows Phone 7 page now lists the Xbox Live Deal of the Week

Windows Phone News
Games

By Paul Acevedo, Thursday, Mar 17, 2011 at 10:16 pm

A few readers have asked us about the official place to check for the Xbox Live Deal of the Week. The best place, of course, is WPCentral. But now there is an official web portal for the Deal of the Week: Xbox.com’s Windows Phone 7 page.

The official Windows Phone 7 page has actually been around for a while, but it’s recently received a major revamp. This is what you’ll find there:

The week’s new Xbox Live release(s) is displayed near the top of the page.

Featured games highlights a selection of Xbox Live titles. They’re not necessarily good games, mind you – the dismal 3D Brick Breaker Revolution is a featured game at the moment.

The 6 weeks of Must-Have Games that we mentioned a while back have their own dedicated page. I’m still surprised that Geo Defense is on that list, but maybe it’ll end up being something special and not just another annoyingly-hard tower defense game.

The Tons of Games page has a nearly complete list of Xbox Live titles (Star Wars Cantina is conspicuously absent), including a few games that haven’t actually been released yet. We already have a list like that in the WPCentral forums, divided by released and upcoming games. It links to both the official Xbox.com product pages and our reviews for each title.

All the way at the bottom, the Deal of the Week is listed.

It’s good to see the Xbox.com Windows Phone 7 page becoming more useful. I’d like to see more information about each game and larger screen shots (they are tiny). If Microsoft adds more significant features to the page, we’ll be sure to let you know.

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Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 coming to Xbox Live on March 23

Windows Phone News

By Paul Acevedo, Thursday, Mar 17, 2011 at 8:52 pm

Last week we brought you news of Full House Poker’s release date well in advance, and we’re pleased to be able to do it again this week. March 23’s Xbox Live game for Windows Phone 7 will be Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 from Konami.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is the mobile edition of Konami’s popular soccer/football franchise. The Windows Phone 7 version is a port of the iPhone game. It’s a surprisingly accurate recreation of the sport, with realistic tactical game play, licensed European teams, advanced A.I. and numerous authentic animations. Pro Evolution Soccer’s 3D graphics (which these tiny screen shots may not convey) contribute to the realism as well. The player models, detailed stadiums, and weather effects all make for a very console-like presentation. The game features multiple control options: simple accelerometer and touch-screen controls or a virtual pad and buttons.

The only thing missing from the Windows Phone 7 version of the game is multi-player. We continue to hope and pray for the day that Microsoft allows mobile Xbox Live titles to have local Wi-Fi or online multi-player. It will come to pass! For now, soccer fans will have to make due with 19 Xbox Live Achievements and friends Leaderboards.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 will debut on March 23. It will cost $4.99.

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No Xbox love for Chicks n Vixens

Windows Phone News

By George Ponder, Monday, Mar 14, 2011 at 9:34 pm

While Chicks n' Vixens continues to blaze a trial through Beta updates, it won't be heading to Microsoft's Xbox Live lineup. Jabberworx had hoped to be one of the few independent developers to gain Xbox Live status.

According to a post over at Windows Phone Metro, Jabberworx reports that Microsoft has turned down their request for Xbox Live status. Microsoft, according to Jabberworx, said Chicks n' Vixens was too much like Angry Birds (which will be an Xbox Live title).

Chicks n' Vixens is an entertaining game and has potential for success, Xbox Live or not. However, the game still needs polishing (and a little more gusto wouldn't hurt) to make the game competitive. Unfortunately, the latest Beta Update seems to have added more glitches than fixes. Glitches that hopefully can be ironed out with the next Beta update.

If you haven't tried Chicks n' Vixens, it's a free game you can find here (opens Zune) at the Marketplace.

Source: windowsphonemetro

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