Temple Run: Oz with lush HD graphics launches for Windows Phone 8

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

Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.