doodle jump

Doodle Jump DC sees you chase notorious Gotham villains to retrieve stolen crystals

Submitted by Rich Edmonds on Tue, 06/02/2015 - 09:31

Doodle has learned a thing or two from Batman and is now ready to battle against notorious villains from Gotham in a bid to retrieve stolen crystals.

Day 8 of our 12 Days of Hidden Gems has us taking a break from connected hardware to the laidback category of Games!

SysApp Pusher gets doublewide Live Tile and Doodle Jump gets new look for Windows Phone 8

Submitted by Daniel Rubino on Sat, 09/14/2013 - 12:54

As the Windows Phone ecosystem continues to grow, more frequent updates are becoming more and more common. Today, we have two that are small but noteworthy.

SysApp Pusher is a free app that checks all the custom OEM stores for new updates, including Samsung, HTC and Nokia. While there are quite a few of these “system app checkers” now available, SysApp Pusher is our choice simply because it gets updated once, sometimes twice a week with new features. The developer clearly has a vision for this app and version 2.0 is well worth taking for a spin.

Doodle Jump hops back onto Windows Phone 8, but drops Xbox Live support

Submitted by Rich Edmonds on Wed, 08/21/2013 - 14:47

There's no denying it, Doodle Jump is (or rather was) an incredibly popular title. Previously available on Windows Phone, Doodle Jump was pulled and has since been missing for those who have not yet downloaded it on their handsets.

Today we're pleased to relay news that the cute, little game has returned to Windows Phone 8 with many improvements included. Only one problem: it's no longer a Xbox Live title.

Windows Phone Game Round-up: Doodle Games

Submitted by George Ponder on Thu, 06/14/2012 - 09:01

Windows Phone Central's round-up of doodle styled games for your Windows Phone

The Windows Phone Marketplace is full of quality apps and games. Each week Windows Phone Central will round-up a handful of applications or games that fit a certain theme. For example last week we looked at panoramic photography apps. Future round ups may deal with sports games one week and news apps the next.

This week the round up focuses on doodle styled games. These are games where the animations and graphics are doodled on to your Windows Phone, often with a graph paper backdrop. We have games where your running a line, dodging balls, and jumping from a perfectly good airplane.

As with every round-up or best of list, we choose the titles that stand out to us. If a title doesn't make the round-up it shouldn't reflect poorly on that title. If we've missed one, feel free to speak up in the comments.

Doodle Jump leaping to Xbox 360 with Kinect motion controls

Submitted by Paul Acevedo on Sat, 03/03/2012 - 10:51

Doodle Jump was quite a hit when it landed on Windows Phone last summer. Casual audiences loved the intuitive tilt controls, simple gameplay, and endearing artwork, and some hardcore players dug the heinously difficult Xbox Live Achievements. Kinect owners will be pleased to learn that Doodle Jump is coming to Xbox 360 this year too. Will it translate to motion controls as well as last year’s Fruit Ninja Kinect?

Kotaku has posted an exclusive video (non-embeddable unfortunately) of Xbox 360 Doodle Jump in action. It provides the first concrete details of how Doodle Jump will work on XBLA. First off, it requires the Kinect to play. Gamers will control the Doodler’s hops by stepping left and right. Pointing your arms fires at enemies, while flapping works Doodler’s Icarus wings. While you'll be moving around a lot, this game looks less strenuous than Fruit Ninja Kinect.

Interestingly, the developers at Lima Sky and Smoking Gun Interactive didn’t just paste in motion controls and call it a day. Whereas the original Doodle Jump’s levels are random and completely endless, the 360 version now has non-random levels with a beginning and end. A meter at the right side of the screen shows the Doodler’s progress as he climbs the level. The video also reveals new platforms, hazards (such as landmines), and backgrounds. These additions make the Kinect game look more like a sequel than a port; I’m definitely excited for it.

Doodle Jump comes to Xbox 360 as a downloadable Xbox Live Arcade game later this year. No specific date or price has been set. WPCentral will be sure to let you know when it arrives.

Source: Kotaku

Xbox Live: Doodle Jump version 1.3 and Sally's Salon version 1.1 updates

Submitted by Paul Acevedo on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 20:14

Game House recently updated two of their Xbox Live titles, and we’ve got the scoop on what’s changed.

First up, Doodle Jump’s version 1.3 update does not bring the new themes (levels) we were promised a while back. But it does take advantage of the Windows Phone Mango update’s removal of the 30 FPS cap, bumping Doodle Jump’s frame rate up to 60FPS. That should make split-second steering a bit easier.

Looking forward, three new themes will definitely come in the next update, which should hit before the end of the year. For more information on Doodle Jump, see our review.

As for Sally’s Salon Luxury Edition, the version 1.1 Mango update brings the following changes:

Support for Fast App Switching
Fixes to localized About screen
Setting the Vibra option to Off now stops vibration during gameplay

Nothing groundbreaking there, but Sally’s Salon was already a very polished time management game. Even guys can have fun with it – see our review for the skinny.

Doodle Jump costs $2.99 and you can get it here on the Marketplace. Sally’s Salon Luxury Edition (which I enjoy more) is $4.99 right here.

Doodle Jump gets 2nd update this week--strictly for the Mango kids

Submitted by Daniel Rubino on Thu, 09/22/2011 - 12:58

Earlier this week, we reported on Doodle Jump (see review) getting an v1.1 update for Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone. Surprisingly, the update was non-Mango specific and instead seemed to be for long awaited bug fixes/enhancements (we're working on the changelog, sit tight--rumor has it the busted UFO achievement is now obtainable).

Now it looks like the devs had a two-pronged approach: bug fixes/enhancements for everyone now and a separate Mango-only update for the rest. Seems like a smart way from dividing your audience. So far the only thing we noticed is fast-app switching i.e. multi-tasking, but we'll see what else we can find. You can download v1.2 now in the Marketplace right here. Thanks, Julian W., for the heads up!

Tentacles gets a Mango update, Doodle Jump not so much

Submitted by Daniel Rubino on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 10:03

Looks like some Xbox LIVE titles are still getting updated for the NoDo and Mango crowd.

The first up is the big hit Tentatcles which was bumped to v1.1 and is now Mangoized with fast-app resume and presumably 60 FPS (hard to tell since the game is not so fast to begin with). We're also going to bet this includes some of those fixes we reported on earlier. The update can be found here with this Zune link.

The other Xbox LIVE game would be Doodle Jump, which also is bumped to v1.1 but surprsingly it's a NoDo version with some bug fixes (we're working on a exact changlog). Too bad about the lack of Mango, but we bet the majority of you NoDo users are happy with the update. Doodle Jump can be found here in the Marketplace.

We'll try to get more info on what exactly these updates brought to the table. Stay tuned. Thanks, Cyrus1989, for the tip

Xbox Live Developer Interview: Game House, makers of Doodle Jump and Sally's Salon

Submitted by Paul Acevedo on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 09:55

WPCentral continues our Xbox Live Developer Interview series by speaking with Game House's Ken Murphy. GameHouse, a division of RealNetworks, is truly a casual gaming juggernaut, with too many PC games to count and three Windows Phone titles so far. In this interview, Ken graciously discusses the casual game genre, the Doodle Jump Achievement that nobody has unlocked, and lots more.

Head past the jump for the full, fantastic interview.

Doodle Jump - Review

Submitted by Paul Acevedo on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 08:49

Slowly but surely, all of the major iPhone gaming hits are finding their way to Windows Phone. It’s important that Microsoft’s young platform has the games that people like and want to play. The latest game to make the jump to Xbox Live is Doodle Jump, originally developed by Lima Sky. The Windows Phone version was ported by Mr. Goodliving (who were shut down by owner RealNetworks prior to the game’s actual release) and Game-Lion Studios. Doodle Jump has been a huge success on other platforms due to its unique, appealing art style, precise accelerometer-based controls, and easy-to-learn, hard-to-master game play.

Is Doodle Jump just as much of a standout on Windows Phone? Step, no, jump past the break to find out.

Doodle Jump has landed on the Marketplace

Submitted by Paul Acevedo on Wed, 06/01/2011 - 08:25

The 6 Weeks of Must Have Games is in full effect. Following on the heels of Hydro Thunder Go comes this week’s Xbox Live release, Doodle Jump. It’s out now on the Marketplace.

Doodle Jump is the progenitor of the jumping game subgenre. It distills the essence of platformers – jumping onto platforms, avoiding death by falling, and defeating enemies – into a simpler game. Here players control the Doodler by tilting the phone. He’s always jumping, so you only need to worry about where you’re going to land, collecting powerups, and tapping enemies to kill them.

The Windows Phone version of Doodle Jump (like Pocket God before it) contains the main game but loses a bit of content. Namely, a few themes are missing. Each theme changes the appearances of Doodle Jumper and his enemies as well as completely changing the background. Five themes are currently included on Windows Phone: Original, Halloween, Christmas, Jungle, and Space. For those keeping track, indie clone MonsterUp (similar if not better in quality) only has three themes right now, so Doodle Jump still has the leg up there.

Doodle Jump is a monster hit on other platforms. It’s extremely cute and easy to play. The Windows Phone version costs $2.99 and there is a free, short trial. Jump on it here (Zune link) on the Marketplace.

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

Submitted by Paul Acevedo on Wed, 05/18/2011 - 18:47

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.

MonsterUp weekend sale

Submitted by Paul Acevedo on Sat, 04/16/2011 - 08:25

We’ve lavished plenty of praise on Karios Games’ MonsterUp in our review and coverage of its frequent updates. MonsterUp is a Doodle Jump-clone that surpasses the original in many ways. It’s also that very rare thing, a truly high-quality indie game for Windows Phone.

MonsterUp is already a great value at its standard price of $1.99. That’s why it’s exciting to announce that the game is on sale for half off this weekend, April 16-17. Grab it now and start unlocking a variety of lovable jumping monsters!

Grab MonsterUp here (Zune link) on the Marketplace. There is a free trial, but for 99 cents, what have you got to lose? Not familiar with MonsterUp? Follow the break for a video demo.

Xbox Live: Must Have Games not starting on April 6

Submitted by Paul Acevedo on Tue, 04/05/2011 - 10:48

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.

MonsterUp version 1.7 update brings plenty of new features

Submitted by Paul Acevedo on Sat, 03/26/2011 - 10:14

Indie developer Karios Games’ MonsterUp is a jumping game, much like DoodleJump. Unlike DoodleJump, though, MonsterUp is a Windows Phone 7 exclusive. Our review praises its controls, character designs, and cheerful atmosphere. The dashing, eloquent reviewer just wished for more environments to jump through. With MonsterUp’s version 1.7 update, his pleas for variety have been answered.

Game designer Marios Karagiannis claims that version 1.7 is “the most important and feature rich” revision so far. He’s not lying!

Dynamic Mode

First off, the new update adds something no other jumping game (not even DoodleJump) has seen so far: the Dynamic game mode. Traditionally in these games, when the player character jumps off one side of the screen, it comes out the other side, much like Pac-Man or Asteroids. Dynamic Mode mixes things up by centering the camera firmly on the player’s monster. Instead of jumping off one side and coming out the other, the game’s platforms simply loop around the player. Gameplay does not fundamentally change – the same difficulty and game logic remain. Yet it does add a drop of flair that I quite enjoy. Standard and Dynamic Modes are selectable before each game, and they also share the same Leaderboard.

Fresh and tasty environments

The platform arrangements in jumping games are randomly generated, so each playthrough is different than the one before it. Still, without the visual variety of different environments, it can feel like you’re just playing the same level over and over. MonsterUp now has two brand themes (environments) to bounce around. Lemonade Madness drops the monsters into a giant lemonade glass, while Sweet-o-mania contains a colorful array of cupcakes, cookies, and lollipops. Both stages retain MonsterUp’s signature bright and gleeful aesthetic, plus they just taste great. The original theme, Countryside, is also selectable. I recommend against eating the countryside.

Hop past the break for more details on the update and a video of Dynamic Mode.

MonsterUp versions 1.5 and 1.6 updates and the future of MonsterUp

Submitted by Paul Acevedo on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 13:46

Since we reviewed MonsterUp, the awesome DoodleJump clone for Windows Phone 7, developer Karios Games has continued honing the game, pushing out two new updates. MonsterUp was already a very slick indie title, so how has it improved?

MonsterUp v1.5.0.0 changelog:

View more online rankings in scoreboard screen
Concrete platform breaks with shield bonus
Minor tweak to concrete platform graphics
Minor tweaks to game fonts
View and beat online high scores in-game
View your all-time best and current leaderboard position in-game
Transition effects in loading screens
Reduced special power recharging time by 20%

MonsterUp v1.6.0.0 changelog (pending certification):

Graphics color banding bug fixed
Bigger in-game buttons
In-game buttons’ position changed
Small graphics tweaks
Minor tweaks to game fonts
Made in-game info more visible

Most impressive about these updates is the online high score integration. Score in MonsterUp is actually a measure of height; your high score is the greatest height you have reached. With the new online high score integration, every other MonsterUp player’s best height is clearly marked on-screen. This makes their scores far more tangible than simply viewing them from a Leaderboard. It’s easy to imagine a player trying just a bit harder when he sees the next best score just a little bit above hum on the screen… The Karios Games website has also been fully redesigned to include (among other things) the online scoreboards, further encouraging competition.

Follow the jump for exclusive information about Karios Games’ future plans for MonsterUp - and a new game announcement!

Angry Birds among six new titles heading to WP7

Submitted by George Ponder on Thu, 02/24/2011 - 21:43

While we have heard countless rumors about Angry Birds coming to Windows Phone 7, Microsoft has announced today that the popular game will be heading to Windows Phones. It joins five other titles that are expected to hit the Marketplace on April 6th as Xbox Live games.

The other gaming titles include:

Doodle Jump - Jump your way up an unending series of platforms
Plants vs. Zombies - Defend yourself from a Zombie attack with garden plants
HydroThunder Go - Long standing boat racing game
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 - Classic Sega platform game
GeoDefense - Tower defense game

No pricing information was available but it's nice to see several of these titles coming to the Windows Phone 7 platform.

Source: WindowsTeamBlog

MonsterUp - Review

Submitted by Paul Acevedo on Tue, 02/15/2011 - 16:46

MonsterUp from Karios Games is one of several Doodle Jump clones available for Windows Phone 7. These games are all about climbing as high as possible amid a sea of never-ending platforms.

Doodle Jump and its brethren (or is that illegitimate children?) have proven themselves to be addictive thanks to easy controls and gameplay that’s fun in short spurts on the go. With so many jumping games to choose from, however, MonsterUp needs to be pretty special to stand out from the crowd. Does it succeed?

Jump past the break to find out.