Xbox on Windows Phone: Rocket Riot update brings Avatar Awards and more

Rocket Riot was among the first Xbox Live games released on Windows Phone, way back at the end of 2010. Despite the game’s age, developer Code Glue continues to pump out updates for it, with a new one arriving within the last few days. The previous patch, version 1.4 was fairly substantial as Windows Phone updates go, and yet this latest, version 1.5 actually manages to top it by adding Avatar Awards, asynchronous multiplayer, and more.

Check out the full release notes and our impressions after the break.

Rocket Riot version 1.5 release notes:

• Two avatar awards:
  • Blockbeard Hat and Beard
  • The Torso Rocket

• Added Challenges Mode (asynchronous multiplayer)
• New languages: Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Brazilian Portugese.

Pirate style

To unlock the new Avatar Awards, you’ll need to defeat the first boss, Blockbeard, as well as the super-challenging final boss. Even if you’ve already satisfied these conditions in the past, you’ll need to replay those levels in order to nab the Awards. Replay value!

To equip your spoils, head to the Games hub, select your Avatar, ‘change my style,’ ‘awards,’ and then select one or both items. Remember to Save or the changes won’t take effect. What do you think of that body, guys? Any resemblance to actual Rocket Riot character torsos?

Throwing the glove down

After installing the update, you’ll see a new option on the main menu: Challenges. From here, you can create Challenges, view ongoing ones, and check your challenge history. Challenges basically involve two players trying to gain the highest score on a particular level, asynchronously. It’s not a proper substitute for real-time multiplayer like the XBLA version has, but certainly a welcome addition to the game.

Unfortunately, my own experience with Challenge Mode hasn’t gone very well. When I try to select the option from the main menu, I get this error message:

“This isn’t quite ready yet, we’re still getting data from the server. Please try again in a few seconds!”

Run-on sentence aside, I simply haven’t been able to create or view challenges as intended. I did manage to accept an incoming request though, so that’s something. The developers haven’t experienced this issue in their testing environment. Anyone else having the same trouble as me?

More Rocket Riot to come

Rocket Riot 3D (Windows 8)

What could have prompted this most recent update to a Windows Phone launch title? Well, it coincides nicely with the impending release of Rocket Riot 3D on Windows 8. Rocket Riot 3D will feature the same asynchronous multiplayer mode that the Windows Phone version’s 1.5 patch introduced. How very cool of Code Glue to remember their mobile game rather than neglecting it.

Rocket Riot 3D promises to include all of the content from the Xbox Live Arcade and Windows Phone games, plus new levels, characters, and lots more. We’ll have an exclusive preview later this week, so stay tuned!

Back to Windows Phone

Rocket Riot is a twin-stick shooter featuring tons of adorable characters and fully destructible pixelated environments. I still think it controls better than any other twin-stick shooter on the platform. Really, it shames Galaga Legions DX to no end. Check out our full Rocket Riot review to learn more.

Rocket Riot costs $4.99. Get it here on the Windows Phone Store.

Thanks to everyone who tipped us about the update!