Tower defense is now a game genre in its own right - the combination of strategy, arcade action and combat has proved very popular. And Digfender is an astoundingly good example of the breed, here lovingly crafted for Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile by Mugshot Games. The graphics are just right, the gameplay honed to perfection and even the freemium stays well within reasonable bounds. Highly recommended.
Smashy Road: Wanted uses similar 'retro' blocky graphics to the hit Crossy Road, but this time you're driving. And on the run. And heading wherever you like, chased by police with cars and helicopters (and more), it's up to you whether you dice it out on the roads or try your luck with rougher terrain. It's all in miniature, but is great fun, and is definitely 'casual' in duration - the average game/attempt (to escape) is about a minute!
I've railed against freemium games which, quite frankly, take liberties with their players and their money, though - in fairness - there are also some good examples, freemium done right, as it were. And then you have traditional games like FoxOne Advanced Edition here, where for around $3 (£2) you get everything. And I mean every plane, every weapon, all unlocked through the time-honoured method of playing well. Making FoxOne Advanced Edition a cracking buy and a lot of fun, without any in-app-purchase worries or doubts.
The successor to the wildly popular Hitman GO, Lara Croft GO takes many of the same turn-by-time strategic moves in isometric 3D, and adds lashings of moveable scenery, monsters, and creepy atmosphere, all lovingly created with the same professional touches as in Hitman GO. I've been returning to this on journeys and other instances of downtime and it's just as addictive as its predecessor.
Fancy weaving from side to side and running over zombies? This is the zombie/driving hybrid game that everyone's been talking about. And it's on Windows Phone too. But is Route Z any good, how does the freemium pitch work, and what about the implementation on Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile? Here's my full review and verdict.
Being, traditionally, more of a fan of four wheel racing then two, I'd only given SBK15 (as in 'SuperBike 2015') a passing glance in the past. Turns out it's a terrific simulation and a great game that if anything, will inspire more people to watch and support the real thing. In fact, it's only by racing, wheel to wheel, right on the edge of a major accident all the time, that you start to appreciate the skill possessed by and the risks taken by the riders in the sport. SBK15 is a meaty game and can take a while to load - but trust me, it's worth the wait. And it works on all Windows Phones, regardless of RAM. Hit!
There's absolutely nothing new here, to be honest. It's a 3D rendered Scalextric-style racer, with Real Racing 3-style freemium mechanics, and from those two clues you can probably imagine the entire title without any help from me. However, that certainly doesn't do justice to the quality of the gameplay, the polish in the graphics, the fluidiity of the action, and so on. Nuts and bolts this may be, but Red Bull Racers is still a terrific game.
At first glance, Pocket Tanks is unimpressive. The old 'Artillery' title from the 1980's, where you guess at angles and power in order to hit an enemy on the other side of a big hill, but just compiled for Windows Phone? Well, this is indeed what it is, but don't switch off, since it turns out to be a lot of fun and quite addictive. In part due to the nature of the original classic, but also because of the imagination of the developer in terms of the weapons at your disposal.
Back in the midsts of time (2011) I reviewed International Snooker, giving it a rave write-up - but ever since have still been eyeing up the more modern 'Pro' version, effectively a re-write, over on Android and iOS. And now the new, full game is on Windows Phone and I'm expecting great things. Summary: I wasn't disappointed, though do see my caveat in bold below!
It would be slightly unfair to lambast Perfect Shift as a cynical money making opportunity for the developers - this is actually what it is, of course, but it's lovingly and glossily done, and with a fair jolt of adrenaline for the player along the way. Would I prefer to see a Riptide-style commercial/freemium hybrid? Absolutely, but don't dismiss Perfect Shift completely because it's completely free up front...
