Turn N Run debuts for WP7, doesn't run well on WP8 (for now)

As we exclusively revealed over the weekend, this week’s Xbox Windows Phone release is Turn N Run, from Russian developer MaxNick (makers of Spider Jack) and Chillingo/EA. The lighthearted puzzle game is now available on the Windows Phone Store. Turn N Run plays great and definitely has easy Achievements, but Windows Phone 8 gamers will have to wait to enjoy it...

Rotation on the go

Turn N Run is a puzzle game that combines the camera rotation mechanics of XBLA hit Fez with the laid-back puzzles and cuboid environments of ilomilo. The game is played from a 2D side-view perspective. But swiping anywhere on-screen allows you to rotate the camera at will. You can peer above and below the level to get an idea of its layout, but the main use of swiping is to make new pathways open to the alien. While one 2D perspective may be filled with gaps, rotating the view 90 degrees reveals a solid path for him to take.

While you can't die inTurn N Run, the game does increase in complexity as you progress through its 60 levels. The challenge comes not just from reaching the rocket which acts as each level’s exit, but also in collecting all of a stage’s crystals. You’ll need them to unlock new planets, and also Achievements! As predicted though, Turn N Run is fairly easy overall and you can get the full 200 GamerScore in 3-4 hours, which should please hungry Achievement hunters.

Not ready for 920 and family

And now for some bad news: Turn N Run is not fully Windows Phone 8 compatible. You can buy it on any device, but it will crash on the Nokia Lumia 810, 820, 822 and 920 handsets. A reader tells us it runs fine on the HTC 8X, but we haven't tried this ourselves. MaxNick is already in the process of developing a WP8 compatibility update for the game. The developer estimates the update should take about a month to clear certification. Once it passes, Turn N Run will work fine on WP7 and WP8 devices.

Microsoft’s decision to allow the publishing of a WP7-specific game (which yesterday’s Spy Mouse and Trivial Pursuit may well be too) is curious because at present at least 22 Xbox Windows Phone games that are incompatible with WP8 have been delisted from the WP Store in most regions. Even Big Buck Hunter Pro got pulled only a week after its release for just that reason. Hopefully Turn N Run doesn’t share the same fate. I see no reason that WP7-only games can’t exist on the Store. After all, there will be plenty of WP8-exclusive games as time rolls on.

Price wars

We originally reported that Turn N Run would cost only a dollar, in keeping with its simplistic visuals and casual gameplay. Unfortunately, the game has launched at $2.99 instead of a dollar. The developer fully intended to sell it at 99 cents, so something has gone awry. Chillingo, Turn N Run’s publisher may have opted for a higher price at the last minute, or maybe someone on Microsoft’s end made a mistake. MaxNick is already investigating the discrepancy and will report their findings back to us soon.

Higher price or not, Turn N Run is still a pleasant little game full of deliciously easy Achievements. Windows Phone 7 users, grab it here on the Windows Phone Store.

Update: As it turns out, the pricing error came from Microsoft's end. The game should revert to 99 cents within the next day or so. Hold tight, gamers!

Update 2: Turn N Run now costs 99 cents as intended. Sweet!