Way back in March, Microsoft announced a big batch of Windows 8 games that would be launching the following weekend. These mostly included Xbox-enabled games, but they mixed some indies in there too. And all of those games did launch that weekend but one: Temple Run: Brave from Disney and Imangi.

We never learned what caused the holdup, but the important thing is Temple Run: Brave has launched for Windows 8 and RT at last! In our previous article I said it might not have Xbox Live features, and unfortunately that has proven to be the case. At least Windows tablet and PC users can now enjoy an installment of the popular Temple Run series… No word on a Windows Phone port of this one, unfortunately.

Head past the break for a hands-on video and our full impressions!

 Run, Merida, run!

Temple Run: Brave is essentially the original Temple Run game with a coat of Brave-colored paint on top. In other words, it plays like the game Windows Phone 8 owners have enjoyed since March but is themed after the Disney Pixar movie Brave.

Now, I didn’t care for the film but it makes for fine windows dressing in the game. Players control the feisty protagonist Merida as she runs away from the super ruthless and uncool bear Mordu. The areas she runs through include lovely Scottish hills, forests, and ancient ruins. Merida makes little vocal quips about the action, and the game displays cute drawings of whatever accident befell her when she gets a Game Over.

This version does add a new gameplay element in the form of archery. At certain times during a run, an archery symbol appears at the top of the screen. This lets you know that archery targets are coming up along the sides of the path soon. Hit them all and you’ll get a coin bonus. The Gunstringer: Dead Man Running borrowed the same mechanic when it launched on Windows 8 a while back.

Shop opening soon?

The main goal of any run is to collect as many coins as possible. These can then be spent on power-ups and new outfits for Merida in the shop. The prices are actually reasonable so you can conceivably unlock everything if you play enough. However, the game does still give the option to buy coins with real money.

At least, it’s supposed to – at launch, the game can’t actually connect to the online store. Hopefully Disney and Microsoft get that straightened out soon.

Windows 8 specifics

If playing on a touch-screen device, you swipe in the appropriate direction to move Merida left or right or make her jump or slide. You have to use the arrow keys for the same functions on a keyboard; this title unfortunately doesn’t support controllers. Shooting archery targets is much easier on a touch screen too because keyboard players have to move a mouse pointer to hit them.  Temple Run: Brave is still quite playable without a touch screen, but more control options would make it even better.

Graphically, the only enhancement of note is the game’s new widescreen display. It definitely looks better on a 16:9 PC monitor with the scenery extended from edge to edge instead of making a tiny portrait view screen with borders like they could’ve done. Otherwise, the geometry and environments make sparse use of polygons and certainly don’t look much better than a 2012-era phone game (or 2011, for that matter).

Overall Impression

Temple Run: Brave resembles Ice Age Village in that it combines a movie license with a tried-and-true game design. Does anybody else find it slightly creepy that the star of a Disney movie is basically guaranteed to die by the game design? There's no winning in Temple Run, and no escape from Mordu in Temple Run: Brave. Ah well, still fun!

Gamers who like endless runners and/or the Temple Run series in general will probably want to pick this one up. Gunstringer: DMR does boast slightly better graphics, an actual story mode, controller support, and Xbox Live Achievements, but it also has much longer loading times, steeper prices in the shop, and a very annoying narrator. Yeah, Disney and Imangi should have published this one as an Xbox title. Still, if I was playing just for pleasure, I’d choose Temple Run: Brave instead.

Temple Run: Brave for Windows 8 and RT costs $1.49 and clocks in at 39 MB. Get it here from the Windows Store.

Thanks to Edwin R for letting us know this game came out!

With summer fast approaching, vacations are being planned and if you're headed to Walt Disney World, you may want to check out Disney Expedition for your Windows Phone 8 or 7.x device.

Disney Expedition is a well laid out companion app for the Disney theme parks that can help you manage your time and help you from getting lost.

Disney Expedition main pages includes information on the Disney parks, hotels, and and activities at Walt Disney World. The park listings includes the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. In selecting one of the parks you can find attractions, activities, Disney characters associated with the park, shows, shops, dining, and guest services for each.

The hotel listings (too many to list individually) pulls up individual activities, shows, shops, dining and guest services associated with each hotel.

The Activities Page lists attractions, activities, shows, shops, dining and guest services for the Disney Boardwalk, Downtown Disney and ESPN Wide World of Sports.

The guest service listing for each category covers not only guest relations centers but also ATMs, locker rentals, restrooms, smoking areas, first aid stations, picture spots and stroller rentals.When you drill down to the mountains of activities that Walt Disney World offers you can see schedules, wait times, who the activity is perfect for (kids, teens, adults, etc.), and map out the location with Bing Maps.

Disney Expedition will let you set alarm reminders so you won't be late and sort attractions by height/age requirements, types of rides, distance from your current location, and name.

Another neat (and handy) feature with Disney Expedition is that at the bottom of each park, hotel and activity index screen is a restroom button. This will pull up a map of the closet restroom to your current location.

Disney Expedition offers a mound of information to help you get around and survive Walt Disney World. Utilizing your location services helps you from getting lost and I like the reminders that can be set to help you from being late.

Disney Expedition is a free, ad supported app for your Windows Phone 8 or 7.x device that you can see here in the Windows Phone Store.

If you’re a fan of Temple Run, then you’ll want to grab the all new Temple Run: Brave game for Windows Phone 8. The game follows on the heels of the Windows 8 version released a few weeks ago and much like its predecessor, goes for $0.99 without a free trial.

We’re not sure why the devs at Disney and behind Temple Run are so against trials, but we bought the game and tossed together a quick video presented below. Off the cuff, we have no complaints about the game (well, it could use a double wide tile, we suppose). Graphics have been updated, it runs smooth and the touch response seems good to us at these early stages.

In case you’re curious, the game is a mashup between the Temple Run franchise and the Disney movie Brave. The backgrounds have been updated with lush forest greens, the main player is now a female lead (who seems to have lost her voice from the Windows 8 version) and you can shoot arrows from your trusty bow at some targets.

Overall, it’s quite fun and a great time waster. Like all Temple Run games, it features in-app purchasing via gold coins you collect or you can opt to “cheat” and buy packs of coins to enhance your character.

Other features include:

• Introducing ARCHERY – tap targets to shoot a bullseye and earn extra coins

• New, amazing visuals. It looks better than ever!

• All new environments inspired by Disney/Pixar Brave and the wilds of Scotland

• Play as Merida from Disney/Pixar Brave
• Outrun Mordu, the demon bear, to earn running glory

You can pick up Temple Run: Brave for Windows Phone 8 here in the Store. Note: Devices with 512MB of RAM are not eligible to play this game! Let the developer know you want 512 MB support by tweeting to @kshepherd and @imangi.

Disney is finding a new lease of life for its Mickey Mouse intellectual property with a mobile game and cartoon shorts series that will go head-to-head with the likes of Angry Birds and Talking Friends to win the hearts of children. The company will be targeting Android, iOS and Windows Phone. The latter being a perfect solution with the Kid's Corner, enabling parents to restrict what their children can access but offer Mickey Mouse content.

The mobile title will be called Where's My Mickey?, which is the latest instalment in Disney's series of "Where's My" video games. Launching in September 2011 and accumulating more than 100 million downloads in its first year, it's a popular form of entertainment. As noted above, Where's My Mickey will be launching on iOS, Android and Windows Phone simultaneously and will boast more than 100 puzzle levels spread across five chapters. The usual characters will be present, including Pluto and Goofy.

This is all setting up the stage for the new cartoon series, titled Mickey Mouse, which will debut on the Disney Channel on July 12th. Aiming at 6-14 year-old children, Disney will be targeting multiple regions with different cities featured (New York, Paris, Beijing, Tokyo and Venice). As one can see from the image and video in this article, Disney will be taking the cartoon back to its original 1930s roots. Disney will be attempting to challenge other companies who have licensed merchandise and popular IPs.

Angry Birds maker Rovio announced an expansion of its licensing deal with Hasbro to make toys and physical games based on the flying bird titles. It'll be interesting to see how Disney promotes its new series and how the games will be received on supported platforms. We'll update you all once the game is live on the Windows Phone Store.

Source: The Guardian; thanks, Graham, for the tip!

We've followed Disney's development of a new game that's coming to the Windows ecosystem. Where's My Mickey? is a brand new puzzle game accompanied by a series of short films. The title was stated to be heading to both Windows 8 and Windows Phone and we're today pleased to announce they're now available.

Join Mickey Mouse and co. in their latest adventure, offering hours of humorous gameplay in a puzzle environment. Five episodes are included that contain surprising and witty scenarios and we're sure younger fans will thoroughly enjoy the experience. If you've followed Mickey in the past, you'll appreciate the classic Mickey art-style with a slight contemporary touch. Following the cartoons on the Disney Channel will fit right in with the game.

If you're picking up the Windows 8 version, 20 extra-large (hence the XL in the title) levels are available, which are designed exclusively for the large screens. You can download Where's My Mickey from the Windows Phone Store ($0.99) and Windows Store ($4.99) respectively.

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

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

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. 

Disney released Where's My Mickey? on both Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8, pumping some new life into the popular IP. After both apps went on sale not so long ago, Disney has now made Where's My Mickey? free on the Windows 8 store. If you've yet tried out the title, now's the perfect opportunity.

If you love little, cute puzzle games and wish to hop into the realm of Disney, Where's My Mickey? is definitely a title you should check out. You can download Where's My Mickey from the Windows 8 Store for free (usually $4.99 - you can also download the Windows Phone version for $0.99). Thanks, Joene90, for the tip!

Update: We've been alerted to the other "Where's My" Disney apps going free on the Windows 8 store. These include Where's My Water? and Where's My Perry?Kudos to neilvillareal for spotting this!

Disney and Microsoft seem to be hitting it off well as every week we’re seeing more and more games arrive on Windows Phone and Windows 8 from the famous studio. Just last week Wreck it Ralph arrived for Windows Phone and Temple Run: Oz before that. This week it’s the more timely Monsters University.

Based off of the hit summer movie and weighing in at 82 MB, the 99 cent game looks to be quite a blast on Windows Phone. Featuring HD cut scenes right from the film, Monsters University features two “exciting mini games”, like “Catch Archie” (think Temple Run but at an angle and you ride a pig) and “Toxicity Challenge”.  Each game has a tutorial, but if you played Temple Run before, you’ll pick it right up.

Check out what the game is all about after the break in our hands on video.

You can unlock characters and use your collected coins to buy powerups too, and while some of the gameplay may be repetitive, overall the graphics are quite impressive.

The game has some lengthy loads times and will only work on 1 GB devices (sorry, folks) but overall for 99 cents it seems like quite a fun adventure. It even comes with a fancy doublewide Live Tile, though we haven’t seen it flip around just yet. The settings are quite basic, however you do get selective control over music and sound effects.

Monsters University description

Catch Archie:

• Get a hold of Archie the Scare Pig, the squealing mascot of Monsters University’s rival school, Fear Tech, in this thrilling mini game!
• Chase Archie in 30 exciting stages, and tire him out to win each stage!
• Jump, slide, and dodge tricky obstacles throughout campus!

Toxicity Challenge:

• Compete in the first scare game event of the year, and put your agility skills to the test!
• Race against the clock, and run through the sewers before time runs out.
• Watch out for the stinging glow urchins that will sting and slow you down throughout all 30 stages!

Other Monstrous Features:

• Play as 3 of your favorite monsters: Mike, Sulley, and Squishy.
• Level up to unlock special power-ups!
• Find and collect Scare Cards featuring famous monsters.
• The Scare Games continue soon with updates that will include more characters and new mini games based on the other events!

Overall, Monsters University looks to be a lot of fun and while the game costs 99 cents with no free trial, as you can see from our hands on video above, it seems well worth the dollar.

Pick up Disney’s Monsters University here in the Store (or scan the QR code below). Windows Phone 8 only, 99 cents, 1GB of RAM required

Thanks, M C, for the tip

The last few weeks have been good to fans of Disney’s Where’s My Water? and its spin-off games, Where’s My Perry? And Where’s My Mickey?. First the Windows 8 versions of all three titles went on sale, and then like a week later Disney gave them away free for some reason. The phone versions of the first two games also went free for a brief time at the beginning of the year. It’s safe to say that people who enjoy asking where liquids or cartoon characters have gone probably acquired two or three such games by now.

Well, later today Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 users will get to ask “Where is my water currently located?” once again. Disney is releasing Where’s my Water? 2 for mobile Windows platforms – and simultaneously with the iOS versions! Well, almost simultaneously. The Windows Phone 8 version showed up a day late, and the Windows 8 version took even longer.

Update: Both versions are now live! Store links and more details after the break.

New stuff

Where’s My Water? 2 stars Swampy, the series’ original alligator protagonist. Or is he a crocodile? I forget. Joining Swampy are two crocogator friends, young girl Allie and Cranky the old-timer. Both were first introduced via downloadable expansions to the original game.

Possibly the most exciting additions to this sequel are the new Duck Rush levels. In these stages, players will frantically dig a path for water as the screen scrolls downward. It’s like Mr. Driller but with water. You’ll find these levels on the new overhead map.

Previous spin-off games like Where’s My Mickey? introduced new mechanics like wind, rain, and clouds. We’re not sure if those return in Where’s My Water? 2, but it does include new locations such as a soap factory and a beach. You’ll also be dealing with more than just water now. Steam and poison must also be used to solve puzzles, which should change up how some levels play.

Free to play

Unlike previous games in the series, Where’s My Water? 2 will be free to play. That would usually be good news for most gamers, unless you’re that guy who played a free game he didn’t like a few years ago and now grumbles about them in the comments constantly.

Our grouchy friend might just have a reason to complain this time, though. Yes, Where’s My Water? 2 is monetized with some innocuous In-App Purchases like power-ups and hints. But it’s also bogged down by a time-based energy mechanic.

Each time you play a puzzle in this game, you’ll consume some energy. When that energy runs out, you won’t be able to play any new levels until it recharges over time… Not unless you pony up to restore your energy. As you might imagine, this mechanic limits players’ ability to replay stages for better scores, to say nothing of just chilling out and enjoying the game as long as they feel like it.

Find that water already

Free to play concerns aside, Where’s My Water? 2 coming to Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 on the same date as iOS (and ahead of Android!) is a welcome show of support from Disney. Hopefully we’ll see more timely releases like this in the future.

Remember, these links aren’t working quite yet. When they go live, we’ll update the article.

• Where’s My Water? 2 – Windows Phone 8 – 78 MB – Free – Store Link
• Where’s My Water? 2 – Windows 8 – 88 MB – Free – Store Link

Update 1: There seems to be a delay in the game appearing in either store. Hopefully it shows up on Friday...

Update 2: As of Friday  September 13th, the Windows Phone version is now live! Still waiting on the Windows 8 version...

Update 3: The Windows 8 version went live on Monday, September 16th.

Thanks to EasyPeasyJD for the tip!

Windows Phone Central Game Roundup: Games for all occasions

Windows Phone games are a great way to pass the time with. Whether it's waiting hours in the car tag line or just a few minutes before a class starts, there is a vast assortment of quality games available in the Windows Phone Store.  Some games are great for a quick gaming fix while others stand up to longer gaming sessiosn.

Then there's games that can cover all the bases, good for all occasions.  Entertaining for short bits and addictive enough to keep you entertained for more extended periods.

For this week's roundup, instead of picking three or four games, we focus on four developers/studios that have a respectable portfolio of Windows Phone games. Some of which that can hold their own for those short gaming sessions or the longer marathon sessions.  Along the way we'll spotlight a few of the titles offered by these developers and as always, if we've overlooked your favorite title feel free to sound off in the comments.

10tons Ltd.

Compared to the other developer groups, 10tons may be the little kid on the block but their games are anything but little. 10Tons' gaming lineup includes Boom Brigade, King Oddball, Azkend and Dragon Portals.

All of 10Tons gaming titles share the same qualities - impressive graphics, challenging game play and plenty of game time  Some take on a more humorous approach to gaming while others are more strategy in nature. Here are two standouts from 10Tons.

Tennis in the Face (trial/$2.99): Tennis in the Face is a humorous, challenging game where you play the role of ex-tennis pro Pete Pagassi who must battle the evil soda manufacturer Explodz Inc.Armed with your trusty tennis racket, you travel the game map to tackle over one hundred levels of play. You use your tennis racket to bounce tennis balls and exploding soda cans to take out Explodz's scientists, clowns, security guards, salesmen and other lackeys.

Each level has a limited number of shots at your disposal so you'll have to take careful aim. Tennis balls can ricochet and take out multiple enemies or trigger secondary explosions from soda machines and other destructive items that are laying about.

There is a trial version available for Tennis in the Face with the full version running $2.99. It is available for Windows Phone 8 devices and you can pick it up here in the Windows Phone Store.

Sparkle 2 (trial/$4.99): Sparkle 2, as you would guess, is the sequel gaming title to Sparkle. In a nutshell... think of the Sparkle games as a more robust version of Zuma and Sparkle 2 as a slightly refined version of the original.

Sparkle 2 has a story line to follow but if you choose to ignore the finer points of the narrative, you can still enjoy the game. But the Reader's Digest version of things has you challenging the dark powers to prevent orbs from falling into the abyss. In defeating the darkness, you discover keys that unlock the secrets of the land.

The game screen has a twisting path in which the collection orbs must travel. You take them out by shooting orbs into the string of orbs, creating matches of three or more of the same color/design. Bonus items are generated along the way to help you take out the orbs and if they reach the abyss, they are sucked into the darkness and you lose that round.

Sparkle 2 has three gaming modes (Story, Survival, and Challenge) along with sixteen enchantments you earn that will help your efforts. Graphics are outstanding, game play fast paced and full of challenge making Sparkle 2 well suited for short gaming periods as long as the more lengthy sessions.

There is a free trial version available with the full version of Sparkle 2 running $4.99. It is available for Windows Phone 8 devices and you can pick up Sparkle 2 here in the Windows Phone Store.

Rovio Entertainment

Like them or not, few will argue that the Angry Birds series of games haven't been successful. That humble battle between birds and pigs has extended to galaxies far, far, far away.

In the Windows Phone Store you have the original Angry Birds as well as the Seasons, Rio, Space and Star Wars versions. With each version being an Xbox Windows Phone gaming titles and being an entertaining way to pass short bits of time with and addictive enough to keep you busy for longer stretches.

While the Angry Birds games has a certain level of appeal, Rovio's support may be the one factor holding the games back on the Windows Phone platform.  Rovio took forever to make Angry Birds available for Windows Phone and updates have come about at a snail's pace.  All of which hasn't been good for Rovio's popularity within the Windows Phone community.

Still.. while Rovio has dropped the ball with regards to Windows Phones the Angry Birds games are fun games to play. But which title is the best? Star Wars and Rio seem to stand out based on the variety of environments and enemies you face.

Angry Birds Rio (trial/$.99): Angry Birds Rio is based on the animated movie that shares the same name. It is also the only version of Angry Birds that doesn't involve battling green pigs.

The goal is to sling your birds into various structure to free captured (or kidnapped) rare birds from their cages and take out an army of angry monkeys. There is a slight green pig influence in the form of floating green pig balloons that you can take out for extra points.

The original cast of birds are at your disposal that include the black exploding bird, the white egg dropping bird, and the big red bird that crushes everything in its path. Angry Birds Rio has 240 levels of play spread across eight different backdrops. You also have 40 bonus levels to extend the gaming further.

There is a trial version available for Angry Birds Rio with the full version running $.99. It is available for Windows Phone 8 devices and you can pick up Angry Birds Rio here in the Windows Phone Store.

Angry Birds Star Wars II (trial/$.99): The Angry Birds cast has been transformed into the various characters of the Star Wars saga. While the first Angry Birds Star Wars installment focused on the first trilogy of movies (chapters four, five and six) the second installment takes aim at the second trilogy of Star Wars movies (chapters one, two, and three). Angry Birds Star Wars II also has the bonus of being able to play for the Dark Side (or Pork Side) of the Force as well as the siding with the good side.

Angry Birds Star Wars II has over thirty playable characters that include Yoda, Darth Maul, Anakin Skywalker (equipped with his pod racer), Jar Jar Binks, and General Grievous.

Currently, Angry Birds Star Wars II has eighty levels of play that are spread across the worlds of Naboo and Tatooine. You also have forty bonus levels that are tied into your characters and become unlocked as they earn more points during game play.

Speaking of which, Angry Birds Star Wars II does take on a few new features to the Angry Birds games. You have a gaming store where you can purchase bonus characters that can be rotated into your arsenal of birds available during game play. So if you need a character that shoots a blaster, you can rotate them into play to improve your chances of success.

As characters are used in successful campaigns, they earn experience based on the number of points they earn. You also earn currency as you successfully complete levels that can be spent in the game's store.

The only downside to Angry Birds Star Wars II is that it only has forty levels of play. You do have the teaser of a "Coming Soon" chapter of play and hopefully we'll see additional chapters of play become available for Angry Birds Star Wars II sooner than later.

Angry Birds Star Wars II does have a trial version with the full version running $.99. It's available for Windows Phone 8 and you can find Angry Birds Star Wars II here in the Windows Phone Store.

Disney

Disney Games have enjoyed online success for some time now and are experience similar success on smartphone platforms. Two general themes resonate with the Disney Windows Phone gaming line-up... you have the endless running games and the physic's based water routing puzzle games. You do have Wreck-It Ralph and Monsters University thrown into the portfolio to mix things up a bit.

The endless running games are based on the Temple Run game but with Wizard of Oz and Brave themes. You're physics based puzzle games are the "Where's My..." collection that includes Where's My Mickey?, Where's My Perry? and the Where's My Water? games.

I think the attraction of the Disney Windows Phone gaming line-up rests with its ability to appeal to a wide range of gamers. These titles can easily find a place in our Windows Phone's Kids Corner as well as being pinned to our Start Screen for the older crowd to enjoy.

The only glaring downside to the Disney collection is the lack of trial versions. However, there is a few ways to try things out but not in direct fashion. Here's a look at two of the more popular titles.

Where's My Mickey ($.99): Where's My Mickey puts the focus on classic Disney characters, with Mickey Mouse taking center stage. The game follows suit with all the "Where's My..." games in that you must guide water around various obstacles to help Mickey complete various goals. You tunnel paths for the water supply to reach a drain that in turn supplies Mickey with the wet stuff.

You also have to use wind and clouds to carry the water around while avoiding toxic materials that will not make Mickey a happy camper. Where's My Mickey has over one hundred levels of play with bonus levels that feature the Disney character Goofy. Additional Goofy levels can be purchased in-app.

Graphics are fantastic and I like the classic look of the Disney cartoons. Animated transition screens are humorous and the game play itself is challenging enough to keep adults interested but not too hard to make the younger crowd frustrated.

The downside to Where's My Mickey is that there isn't a trial version available. The full version is running $.99. If you're curious if the game style is your cup of tea, try out the free copy of Where's My Water. If you like the game play there, you'll enjoy Where's My Mickey.

Where's My Mickey is available for Windows Phone 8 and you can pick it up here in the Windows Phone Store.

Temple Run: Brave ($.99): Temple Run: Brave is a version of the popular Temple Run game with a Disney flare. You play the role of Merida from the Disney/Pixar movie Brave. You've got to run, jump, slide and shoot targets in this constant runner game.

Your motivation? The demon bear Mordu is hot on your heals looking to gobble you up. The goal? Run as far as you can and always stay a step ahead of Mordu. So you have to hit every turn smoothly, clear all the hurdles and collect coins along the way. You maneuver Merida by a series of screen gestures and screen tilts. Miss a jump, slide, or turn and Mordu ruins your day.

The coins you collect along your journey can be used in the game's store to buy boosts, upgrades and outfits for Merida to use.  The initial load time does take a little longer than normal to load but once up and running, Temple Run: Brave moves along at a nice pace.  Graphics set the mood nicely for a hectic run through the Scottish neighborhood, game play challenging, and Temple Run: Brave is a nice edition to the Disney gaming line-up. 

The downside is typical of most Disney titles in that there isn't a trial version. You can, however, download and try Temple Run to get a feel for the game and if you want a Brave feel for the game, then plunk down the $.99 for Temple Run: Brave.

Temple Run: Brave is a Windows Phone 8 game that you can grab here in the Windows Phone Store.

Gameloft

May have bitten off more than I can chew by including Gameloft in this week's roundup. Gameloft currently had eighteen gaming titles in the Windows Phone Store, all Xbox Windows Phone gaming titles, and it's tough to pick out two to highlight.

You've got arcade styled games with Earthworm Jim HD, card games with UNO & Friends, sports games with Real Soccer 2013, adventure titles with Six Guns, and racing games with Asphalt 7 Heat. And that only scratches the surface.

Many of the gaming titles from Gameloft score four plus stars with user ratings in the Windows Phone Store and with those that we've taken a look at are entertaining gaming choices. While any of the titles are worthy of the spotlight, I decided to pick two of my personal favorites.

Shark Dash (trial/$.99): Shark Dash is an arcade title from Gameloft that is a fantastic physics based puzzle game. Where Angry Birds has you hurling birds to take out your enemies, Shark Dash has you slinging a toy shark around a bath tub in an effort to devour rubber ducks.

Shark Dash has 96 levels of game play that span four global environments. With each level you have to gobble up all the rubber ducks, collect as many coins as possible, avoid sending your shark out of the tub, and do all this in as few moves as possible. There is a limit on the number of moves for each level and when you reach that limit, the tub plug gets pulled and your shark goes down the drain.

As you complete levels, you'll earn coins that can be spent in the Shark Dash store for shark skins to dress up your shark, elixir packs to add a few mulligans/do-overs to the game, and a few special bundles to unlock all levels or all shark skins.

Shark Dash can stand up to quick gaming spurts or longer game sessions. It's challenging enough to stay fresh and has that nifty addictive quality that keeps the game appealing.

There is a trial version available for Shark Dash with the full version running $.99. It is available for Windows Phone 8 devices and you can find Shark Dash here in the Windows Phone Store.

Let's Golf 2 (trial/$4.99): A well done golf game can be a fantastic way to pass the time. Whether it's taking in a few holes while sitting in the waiting room or taking in a full 18 when you've got more time to kill.

Let's Golf 2 is one of the best golf games available for our Windows Phone. Sure, it has cartoonish graphics but from the large selection of golf courses to the character customizations/upgrades, it's a quality golf game.

You've got a handful of gaming modes that include a career mode, instant play, challenge mode (longest putt, bunker play, birdie or bust, etc.), and free hole (single hole play). Courses span six global locations including England, Africa, and Greenland.

Let's Golf 2 is strong enough to appeal to the duffer in all of us. Simple gaming controls, challenging golf courses, and super graphics add to Let's Golf 2's appeal. Only thing missing is a multi-player mode. Wouldn't it be need to have a turn-based, online mode?

There is a trial version available for Let's Golf 2 with the full version running $4.99. It is available for both Windows Phone 8 and 7.x devices and you can snatch up Let's Golf 2 here in the Windows Phone Store.

Who's the strongest contender?

Of the four Windows Phone developers in this week's roundup, it's very tough to find a clear cut leader of the pack. Rovio's Angry Bird gaming series is hard to ignore but the pace of updates may leave many frustrated.  10Tons has a healthy collection of entertaining games that cover a wide spectrum that shares common traits, they are challenging and well drawn up.

Disney is a well established brand and their Windows Phone gaming library mirrors the quality we have come to expect from Walt's name sake. Gameloft may be the wild card of the group with plenty of titles, but not all clear cut winners.

These four gaming sources aren't the only game in town with a cornucopia of worthy gaming studios contributing to the Windows Phone gaming library. Occasional Gamer, EA Sports, Ubisoft and Babaroga all have fantastic gaming titles on the shelf with several titles that are well suited for all occassions.

It really was hard to pick only four studios to highlight this week and as with all our roundups, if we've missed your favorite game or developer, feel free to sound off below in the comments.

Star Wars: Tiny Death Star is a business simulation game developed by Disney Mobile and NimbleBit (published by LucasArts), which has come to Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8, alongside Android and iOS devices.

The latest title is based on NimbleBit's previous hit game, Tiny Tower but is set in the Star Wars universe. Tiny Tower wasn’t available for Windows Phone, so it’s great to see LucasArts/NimbleBit on Windows Phone Store finally.  

The goal of the game is to build and expand a space station - th Death Star - while attracting virtual people known as galactic bitizens to build and run virtual businesses within the Death Star. As you go along, you earn credits to expand your Death Star, and build over 80 types of Star Wars themed residential and commercial floors.

The game has a pretty cool retro Star Wars feel, and while it gets to you slowly, is extremely addictive. Some may find the gameplay to be a little slow, and repetitive though. If you're a hardcore Star Wars fan and are after some action, this is probably not for you.

You can download the game for free for Windows Phone 8 on Windows Phone Store. It is 59 MB, so get on the Wi-Fi when you hit the store. It’s a decent game, and since it’s free, it’s a good addition to your collection. If you're on the desktop or tablet, download the title from the Windows Store.

Via: WPScoops; Thanks, everyone, for the tips!

The festive season is well under way and what better way to keep the kids entertained than downloading free Disney games on their Windows Phones? The company has rounded up six Windows Phone games, making each one of them available for free. It's Disney's Season of Giving.

So which titles are you able to download? How do the likes of Where's My Water 2, Where's My Mickey and Monsters University sound? Think of this offer as a Disney's stocking filler, or possibly an advent calendar as you count down the days. Here are the Disney apps that are currently available for free:

• Where's My Water? 2
• Where's My Mickey?
• Wreck-It Ralph
• Where's My Perry?
• Where's My Water?
• Monsters University

This is a solid move by the company, offering ample entertainment for children at an exciting time of the year. As well as the links above, check out the QR codes below for more convenient access if you're on a PC or tablet. Thanks, pkwesi77, for the tip!

All through this year, Disney has been upping the ante on Windows and Windows Phone. They’ve brought popular titles from other platforms, introduced new games, and offered great deals.

The company has now announced the Disney Infinity: Toy Box app that allows you to apply your imagination to a digital canvas. The app is also available for iPad. You can create your own worlds and games using favorite characters from popular Disney movies like ‘The Incredibles’, ‘Cars’, ‘Tangled’, ‘Wreck-It Ralph’, ‘Frozen’, ‘Monsters University’, and more.

Disney promises endless possibilities like putting Captain Jack Sparrow in sports car racing Dash or Sulley climbing mountains to find Cinderella’s Castle. There are more than 80 free items to build your world – including terrain, racetrack pieces and decorations. You can use web codes included with toys at retail or make purchases in-app to unlock even more props, characters and decorations.

It’s also easy to transfer your creations cross-platform, so you can pick up where you left off, and use multi-touch controls for building and playing.

Download the free app from Windows Store, and let us know what you’re building. Also, check out www.disney.com/infinity for more information.

Source: The Fire Hose

They might not always achieve release date parity with other platforms, but Disney Interactive is still a major supporter of Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8. This year we’ve seen new releases like Where’s My Water? 2 and Where’s My Mickey arrive in fairly timely fashion, and even a few slightly older games like Wreck-it-Ralph make the trip to mobile Windows platforms.

Today Disney’s latest mobile game Frozen Free Fall has popped up on Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8, just a few weeks after the iOS version’s November 21 release. Free Fall is a free-to-play match-3 puzzle game, not unlike that Candy Crush Saga game that everyone raves about. Head past the break for impressions and Store links!

Cool as ice

Windows Phone 8 version

Frozen Free Fall is based on Disney’s CG animated film that is still going strong in theaters; it took the top spot at the US box office last week. The movie tells the tale of two estranged royal sisters, one with dangerous ice powers, and their attempts at reconciliation and protecting their kingdom. It features very strong female leads, better-than-average songs, and is just fantastic on the whole.

Being a simple puzzle game, Free Fall doesn’t match up to the movie it’s based on quite as closely as Temple Run: Oz. Basically, players progress through 75 unique levels spread across a frozen landscape. During each level, you’re paired with a companion character from the film that animates according to the action. Since the game lacks actual story scenes (that I could notice), the setting and companions are about the extent of the Frozen-ness.

Let it go (and make matches)

Windows 8 screenshots

The actual gameplay involves matching three gems of the same color, just like Bejeweled and its many clones. But unlike Bejeweled, players have a finite number of moves in which to reach a target score. Fail and you lose a life. Succeed and you’ll receive a star rating based on how much you exceeded the target score. You can eventually gain access to powerups like torches and snowballs as well. Nothing revolutionary, but still fun stuff.

Being a free to play game, Frozen Free Fall needs be monetized through In-App Purchases. Players start with five lives which they can lose by exiting a level (boo) or failing it. You get a new life every thirty minutes. To refill your lives sooner, select the life counter at the top corner of the map screen. A full batch of lives costs $1.49. Of course, buying lives is optional and you could just wait it out without paying. Note that the Windows Phone version makes you sign into your Microsoft account and agree to SkyDrive access before playing for some reason, just like we saw in Memory Battle Time last week.

Frozen Free Fall is sort of a mixed bag visually. On Windows 8, the 2D background images look very low resolution and washed out. Perhaps Disney went this route to avoid distracting from the gameplay; I don’t know. The actual animated companions come to life through 3D models and fare much better than the backgrounds. The jewels and visual effects for matches don’t disappoint either.

It might not fully take advantage of the Frozen source material, but Free Fall is still a fine little puzzle game. Give the game a try for free. And if you like animated movies, don’t miss the film before it leaves theaters!

Source: Windows Phone Apps.es

• Frozen– Windows Phone 8 – 25 MB – Free – Store Link
• Frozen– Windows 8 and RT – 65 MB – Free – Store Link

Fans of Disney's Nemo will be able to join the cute, little fish and his friends in the latest time management game to hit the Windows Phone Store. Nemo's Reef enables players to construct their own beautiful habitat and make a home for all their favourite Finding Nemo characters. Are you ready to help Nemo and his dad, Marlin to create the best reef in the class? Swim past the break for the full read.

If you're a fan of the story and adventures Nemo and friends get up to, this is a must-download game for your Windows Phone. Already available for both iOS and Android, there are over 50 kinds of fish available to enhance your own world, providing some scope for development and advancement, as well as personalisation.

You'll be meeting Dory, Gill, Bloat, Bubbles and more as you progress through the game. But it's no simple swim as you'll have to find different combinations of plants and decorations to delight and excite Nemo's friends, as well as other exotic fish. Mysterious fish are more difficult to come by, requiring you to plant rare seeds and attempt to attract them.

The game itself is free to download, but you have the option to go with in-app purchases if you choose. When starting up Nemo's Reed, the game will ask you to link the game to either your Windows Phone or Facebook. Linking the game to the social network includes numerous social benefits, but if you're just wanting to get stuck in and play through with Nemo, the device option is just as good.

It's worth noting now that this is an online game and requires an active Internet connection.

Once you've established your name and connected to Disney's cloud, the game will download some content and then it's time to get started. Since Disney is clearly targeting not only adults, but a younger audience with Nemo's Reef, it's super easy to get started. If you're used to other management games on the platform, you'll fit right in here. Prepare for some tapping. 

Vitality represents the population of ornamental plants, rare plants, fish and guests within your reef. The higher the vitality, the more chance you have of growing rare plants and whatnot. Sand Dollars join Algae and Pearls as the in-game currencies, but fear not as there are quests and easy ways to make enough to advance.

You can download Nemo's Reef from the Windows Phone Store for free (Windows Phone 8 only - 72MB) - note there are micro transactions included inside the game, should you wish to get ahead.

via: WPScoops

If you are a fan of the movie Toy Story, we have some good news.  Toy Story: Smash It! has landed in the Windows Phone Store.  The game has been available on Windows 8 for a little while and it is nice to see it come to the small screen.

The Windows Phone 8 game is a physics-based puzzle game where you must guide Buzz Lightyear through ninety challenging levels.  Armed with bouncing-balls, Buzz must take out all the targets in each level.

The ninety levels of game play are spread across six episodes, each with fantastic animations and graphics.  Tutorial pop-ups will appear as you enter a level with uncharted tasks to guide you through the new features.

Game play takes on a brick breaker feel to it in that Buzz needs to nail targets that will toppled alien fortresses and knock down the little green aliens.  Buzz is only armed with a limited number of bouncing balls in each level and the fewer balls it takes to knock down the aliens, the higher your score.

As you progress through the game, the levels become more challenging.  You will find stronger fortresses to knock down, obstacles to throw your bouncing ball through and power-ups to give you a fighting chance.

We have only played a few levels and Toy Story: Smash It! makes a nice first impression.  It comes across as an entertaining, addictive, fun Windows Phone game.

The only downside to the game so far is that it lacks a trial version.  The full version of Toy Story: Smash It! is currently running $1.99 and is available for Windows Phone 8.

You can find your copy of Toy Story: Smash It! here in the Windows Phone Store.  The Windows 8 version of Toy Story: Smash It! is currently running $4.99 (no trial) and can be found here in the Windows Store.

Thanks, Isaac, for the tip!

Still not tired of endless runner games? Agent P has just arrived for Windows Phone 8. The free game features characters from Disney’s animated show, Phineas and Ferb. You can play as Agent P or his fellow O.W.C.A. Agents to chase down the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz. The game is also available for iOS and Android.

Run, jump, roll, and dodge through the Tri-State Area: on the rooftops of Danville, inside Doof HQ, Evil Inc., and in the clouds in an official O.W.C.A. hang glider. Watch the official trailer below to see if it’s worth your time.

Agent P is a free download at the Windows Phone Store. Is it your type of game? Let us know in the comments!

Thanks for the tip, dwane18!

When Where's My Water? 2 launched late last year, it was met with criticism from not only ourselves, but consumers too. This was due to the energy system implemented, which almost acted as a deterrent to play the game itself. Just like popular free online games available that make use of said system, players were forced to pick up in-app purchases to continue playing (or wait until their energy replenished). This sucked.

Luckily, Disney has been listening to consumer feedback and has released an update to the Windows Phone version of the game, removing the energy system altogether. 

Should you be an avid fan of the Where's My Water? games from Disney, you're now able to play through levels in the second instalment as many times as humanly possible. That's not all that was included in 1.1.0.5 as the development team has also added two new locations to visit: Bayou and Winter Woods.

You can download Where's My Water 2? from the Windows Phone Store, as well as the Windows Store while you're on a download spree.