Windows Phone 7 review: the launch games

There will be dozens of games to play on Windows Phone 7 when you pick up your device. But, only a select few will be branded as Xbox Live games. These games get spotlight placement in the Games Marketplace, and offer a key feature that other mobile platforms lack: Gamerscore. Like Xbox Live Arcade titles, each game can net you 200G, but at a fraction of the price.

In terms of quantity, Xbox Live definitely launches with a bang, with over a dozen games to choose from. But are any of these games good? What are the must-have games for your Windows Phone device? We take the arduous task of reviewing every single launch game. Ready?

Bookmark this page as new reviews will be constantly added!

Free
Flowerz - Microsoft Game Studios
Halo Waypoint - Microsoft Game Studios
ilomilo* - Microsoft Game Studios

$0.99
Avatar Gadgets - Microsoft Game Studios

$2.99
CarneyVale: Showtime - Microsoft Game Studios
deBlob Revolution - THQ
Flight Control - Namco Bandai Games
Frogger - Konami Digital Entertainment
Game Chest: Solitaire - Microsoft Game Studios
Glyder: Adventure Worlds - Glu
Hexic Rush* - Microsoft Game Studios
OMG: Our Manic Game* - Microsoft Game Studios
The Revenants* - Microsoft Game Studios
Twin Blades - MIcrosoft Game Studios

$4.99
Bejeweled LIVE - PopCap Games
Earthworm Jim HD - Gameloft
Glow Artisan - Microsoft Game Studios
Monopoly - Electronic Arts
Need for Speed Undercover - Electronic Arts
Star Wars: Battle for Hoth - THQ
Tetris - Electronic Arts
UNO HD - Gameloft

$6.99
Max & the Magic Marker - Microsoft Game Studios
More Brain Exercises - Namco Bandai Games
Rocket Riot* - Microsoft Game Studios
The Harvest* - Microsoft Game Studios
The Sims 3 - Electronic Arts

$9.99
Guitar Hero 5 - Glu

* Exclusive to Windows Phone 7 at launch. ilomilo is exclusive to AT&T customers.

Reader Comments (36)

mmmm

"Like Xbox Live Arcade titles, each game can net you 200G, but at a fraction of the price."

Doesn't this just make the whole Gamerscore thing even more meaningless?

@Kevadu
I thought it was meaningless from the beginning...

@Kevadu

Why?

I get the feeling Microsoft werent being very serious with the game offerings, if they were, I believe they would have put out much more effort than this.

When I saw the videos for the games a while back, I was least impressed, only Harvest looks half decent :(

Can we get a sort option for sorting by review score? Price is not as important to some of us...

@urgan Yep, will do once all the reviews are up!

Achievement whores will buy these phones.

@Burnflare

Stallion83 has 4 on order no doubt.

@Burnflare

I'll upgrade from my Droid next year to a Windows 7 Phone just for the Xbox LIVE experience. Achievements aren't as much of a concern.

@Anticrawl
Dude I was legit about to say that. I love my Droid but the game offerings on Android aren't as diverse as you are led to believe.

Anyway by 2011 it will have a large game catalog just from MGS alone.

@Burnflare
Or music whores, considering the whole Zune integration. That's the driving factor behind my purchase.

So, on the gaming review you said that WP7 isn't a good gaming system and that the launch game were subpar. Despite not having the reviews up yet, have you played them all?

I was under the impression that there would be nearly 60 games during a launch window. From what I have seen, Harvest and Crackdown: Project Sunburst looked like fun.

@majg Harvest is great... but it has one big flaw: the load times. The games you see here are the ones I've played so far, and the only ones available at launch. Some of the other games will be releasing throughout the year.

Thanks for the input, Joystiq. Might try out deBlob if I get a chance, looks addicting.

@dherasa
I see your skepticism. Especially since Microsoft had a magnificent device capable of playing PSP-esque quality games (as in graphics... maybe not control wise given the touch screen) and they let it die.

Yeah... I own a Zune HD. And yes... I own all 20 apps they made for it. Including the Metronome. Ugh.
*Walks away*

Windows Phone 7 looks good enough for me to switch from my Android device. Too bad my contract isn't up for another year and 4 months.

I definitely will be getting the Windows Phone 7. I am all-in-all not very impressed with my iPhone, and being someone who plays my Xbox quite a bit the integration with WP7 sounds very intriguing to me.

@Liquidfingers

Ditto buddy. I can't wait!

Same. I come from a Windows Mobile background as well, my HD2 will now be my Android phone, whilst I get the Omina 7 or Dell Lightning as my main device.

That, and the whole Xbox integration thing = Sold.

I'll stick with SERO, Windows Mobile, Copy & Paste, ROM modding, and no-ads ever in any apps.

I'd love to see an Android MP3 player similar to the iPod Touch, or possibly a pay as you go Android phone. You can't get a good pay as you go phone without paying a mint for it!

@MNeko
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phones/samsung-intercept-phone.jsp

@Bewoulf

The metronome was the best app yet not even joking its mad helpful

Will you be covering any of the Indie (non-Xbox Live) launch games?

@kevnt Beyond the launch games, our coverage of WP7 will be very selective, much like our iPhone/Android games coverage. But always send us e-mails requesting coverage of specific games!

Hah.. I'll stick with my android.

Hey Andrew. I imagine you're pretty busy with all these games, but when you will get the other reviews up?

@syrik zero I saved the more expensive games for later reviews, because they're a bit more complex, a bit longer to beat. I expect everything to be up by next week. We'll send out a tweet when it's complete.

Any way to tell which ones of these are "real" Xbox Live games with gamerscore and such? Or is it all of them?

Also, $3 for Flight Control? That sucks.

All of these.
WP7 has normal games too, these are just the ones with LIVE functionality.

@(Unverified)
Actually, the Music Quiz app is freakin' sweet. But undoubtedly, iTunes probably has 25 versions of the same app.

WP7 actually has some pretty cool games!

Doodle Tower for example is just awesome! Better than Doodle Jump for the iPhone!

Are the other reviews still coming?

@redrings Woohoo they're coming in!...

You should add a review for Astrofrog, it's a nice little addictive game! http://www.wpappshub.com/games/astrofrog

Windows Phone 7 review: the launch games

Reader Comments (36)

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 7:28PM Jerri Cop said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 7:33PM Kevadu said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 7:48PM eNriqeu said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 8:14PM Im No Hero said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 7:35PM Spunky Monkey 190906 said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 7:36PM urgan said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 7:46PM Andrew Yoon said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 7:46PM Burnflare said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 8:11PM CaptainProtonX said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 8:29PM Anticrawl said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 10:24PM kives343 said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 12:28PM trendscenedental said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 9:37PM majg said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 1:57PM Andrew Yoon said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 9:47PM SnorlaxTheSerialKiller said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 9:54PM Bewoulf said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 10:24PM ItsameMatt03 said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 11:47PM Liquidfingers said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 12:43PM syrik zero said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 3:55PM BlackedOut said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 12:38AM JAmerican said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 1:15AM MNeko said

Posted: Nov 9th 2010 4:43PM Aclos09 said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 1:30AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 2:09AM kevnt said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 1:58PM Andrew Yoon said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 9:17AM themisanthrope said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 12:43PM syrik zero said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 1:59PM Andrew Yoon said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 2:41PM Gemini Ace said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 3:57PM BlackedOut said

Posted: Oct 21st 2010 10:23PM Bewoulf said

Posted: Oct 28th 2010 10:05AM PassDown said

Posted: Oct 28th 2010 12:08PM redrings said

Posted: Nov 8th 2010 4:23PM redrings said

Posted: Jan 9th 2011 9:39AM Tiptaptoe said

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