The Must Have Games 2012 promotion is nearly over, but that doesn’t mean the Xbox Live games will stop coming once March rolls around. Microsoft has just announced several new mobile Live titles.
Carcassonne (pictured above): The popular board game comes to Windows Phone courtesy of German developer Exozet Games, who previously handled the Android and Blackberry ports. In Carcassonne, each player takes turns placing land tiles in an effort to build cities, roads, and cloisters. The person with the most points at the end of the game wins. The Xbox 360 version runs 800 MS Points ($10) and is a ton of fun. The Windows Phone port includes both ‘The River II’ expansion and online multiplayer, so it should be a blast as well.
GeoDefense Swarm: Critical Thought’s follow-up to popular tower defense game geoDefense switches from linear paths to a hex-grid system. It still retains the series’ signature neon look and established towers though. I’m betting it will be easy to get into but have some balance issues like its predecessor.
Gerbil Physics: Ready for another Xbox 360 indie game-turned-mobile Xbox Live title? Pencel games’ Gerbil Physics is a lot like Implode! but with Gerbils. Each level presents stacks of adorable, well drawn gerbils which players must then knock over with well-placed bombs. The Windows Phone version includes three times as many levels as the original, plus lots of new animations and music. Gerbil Physics is the only game in the article with an official price: $2.99.
Pinball FX 2: Zen Studios’ XBLA pinball hit comes to Windows Phone! The original is known for its pretty-good physics and large number of downloadable tables. If the Windows Phone version follows suit, expect it to include several tables with more available as PDLC. The screenshots show the Ms. Splosion Man table – hopefully more licensed tables like the Marvel and Street Fighter ones make it to Windows Phone too. We do know that it supports both portrait and landscape configurations, and high scores and Wizard score (a combination of your friends’ scores) will transfer between both XBLA and WP7. The XBLA game’s Achievements are rubbish (to put it nicely), so Achievement hunters beware.
Shoot1UP: We’ve already covered Mommy’s Best Games’ Shoot1UP several times in the past. Like Gerbil Physics, it started out as an XBLIG game before moving to mobile Xbox Live status. A vertically-scrolling 2D shoot-em-up, Shoot1UP features tons of ships on-screen and surreal art design. Check out WPCentral’s exclusive preview for more details.
Wordament: The free, ad-supported Windows Phone indie game from You vs. the Internet will apparently be re-released as an Xbox Live title. Wordament is a massively multiplayer word game in which players compete to find as many words as possible from the same field of 16 letters. Visually it’s very Metro (plain), but the multiplayer/leaderboard aspect is compelling. We’ve contacted both the developers and Microsoft and will report back when we know more about this new version.
What do you guys think of the new lineup? I’m glad to see Xbox Live Arcade games Carcassonne and Pinball FX 2 making the transition to Windows Phone, and the upgrade to mobile Xbox Live status should be great for Gerbil Physics and Shoot1UP. We’ll have lots more to share about these games in the weeks to come, so stay tuned.
Reader comments
Pinball FX2, Carcassonne, and more Xbox Live games coming to Windows Phone
All will be purchased! Why do we have to wait?!?!?!?!
Hey Judge, is not impossible at all, just spam units and upgrade as fast as possible, it'll get really chaotic, but it's not that hard.
There are a few Hardcore levels on which Perfect really does seem impossible. Complained about it in my review.
Pinball FX2! I've been wanting this on my phone forever.
Still one level I haven't gotten perfect on GeoDefense. And, since I've long since assumed that a perfect is actually impossible on hardcore mode (actually, may be 2 levels) I'm ready for something new.
So how about some updates to.current XBL games?
Pretty psyched for pinball! I love wordament too but it'll have to offer more than achievements to get me to pay for it.
Oh NO! I've been trying to save money and fight off spending on Xbox Live games in the marketplace, but I really want to get Carcassonne! I love that game on the game on 360. It and UNO are my go-to games to play to kill time.
Excellent. I'm far more excited by these games than this year's 'must have' games.
It's great to see indie games get published as Xbox Live titles too. Wordament is excellent, though I hope they have polished the visuals a bit. Xbox Live games need to be consistently polished.
They need to add some role playing games like the zenonia series for IOS to windows phone
Oh, they need to make an Ms. Splosion man game for WP7!!
This is a very good selection of new games.
At first I was apprehensive about Microsoft promoting existing apps to XBL status, but now I don't mind. An easy way of giving awesome games awesome exposure.
Love Carcassonne
Will it really have online play though?
For reals!
Nout rubbish about XBL achievements! This is great news for Windows Phone. Keep the titles coming MS!
I'm not complaining about the existence of Achievements. Pinball FX 2's are just poorly thought-out and nearly impossible to earn.
"The XBLA game’s Achievements are rubbish (to put it nicely), so Achievement hunters beware [about Pinball FX2]"
Quote for truth!
Great news for the Winning Phone!
Keep pushing Microsoft!
Love geodefence. Will try the followup.
Pinball games are fun and will try that to. But what I really would die for would be the good old pinball fantasies games. If they would be well ported I would be more than happy to buy premium prices for them.
Pinball FX2 Hell Yeah!!!
Sure would be nice if all the tables I bought on XBLA Pinball FX 2 would transfer to WP7, not that I would ever in a million years think that they would allow that to happen - but it would be nice.
I'm excited for wordament =)
I would buy Carcassonne in a heartbeat if it were online compatible with the iOS version.
I can't imagine it will be, though and that makes me sad.
I have no desire to play with iOS'es...
ROFL that was great
Carcassonne looks interesting, but not if it's $10 like it is on the iOS App Store.
Loved Carcassonne on XBLA! Would easily pick it up on my WP7! Also loved the first geoDefense so this new on shall be a no brainer! and finally Pinball FX 2... We shall see I do enjoy it on XBLA but I would hope since its using LIVE that it could know what tables you already own on XBLA and just work on the WP7 without buying them again but that is wisful thinking I'm sure.
I hope Carcassone comes out very soon...
Also are there any news regarding the Nokia exclusive titles from EA?
If they allow exclusives, they are setting themselves up for pissed off people and a lot of anger. The beginning of splintering on the platform....
I believe the Nokia/EA games are just timed exclusive and will eventually make their way to all Windows Phones. Crisis averted....
I hope wordament stays free when it goes XBL
The screenshots are different from the current version and still have an ad at the bottom, so I take that to mean that it will still be free.
Actually I'd love to have the option to pay to get rid of the ads.
Wordament and carcassonne are sounding good
Agree with all of you guys.
geoDefense!!!!!!
YES! Both Pinball FX AND Carcassonne! This is going to be BRILLIANT! Two of my favourite XBLA-titles. Hopefully this is just the beginning.
Wish someone would port the game of thrones board game haha way harder than carcassone but I'll still get it lol
Hope Pinball FX2 follows the XBLA model where the main game is free and we pay for the tables with Microsoft Points.
OMG! Love geoDefense, love XBLIG games from Mommys Best Games, love Carcassone the board game. Great news. WP is so amazing!
Yes! Love Pinball FX2 and it's a perfect game for mobile platforms.