Microsoft is trying its best to get Windows Phone 7 out to users with the maximum possible apps. In an effort to get some of the best apps from Android Market and App Store, Microsoft is also said to be paying up popular developers. We in fact see Microsoft Gaming Studios as the publishers for a lot of games that have shown up on WP7 Marketplace and while that’s not surprising, we are sad that a lot of games that are free or have a good free version for iOS and Android are actually paid on Windows Phone 7. And even the paid versions cost more on Windows Phone 7 than it does for iOS or Android.
But if you have got yourself a Windows Phone 7 and need to get some good games on it, here are a few casual games that I have previously played on the iPhone / iPad or an Android smartphone and could find them on Windows Phone Marketplace:
Harbor Master
Harbor Master is a game I have always enjoyed on the iPad, with the large screen it is best enjoyed as a group task. I was happy to see this on WP7 and it remains fun on the small screen as well.
Harbor Master puts you in charge of a busy harbor and you have loads of cargo ships to route. The game gets challenging with increasing number of ships to manage and collisions are difficult to avoid. To add some more fun, pirates, cyclones and sea monsters show up in the full version. The game offers one free map i.e. Sturgeon Creek and allows you to buy seven maps for $2.99. This is a good buy!
Link: Harbor Master
Fruit Ninja
Fruit Ninja is another immensely popular app on the App Store. All you do here is keep slicing fruits and this is one of the few casual games that adds some action to it. While you do have some role to play as a ninja, you aren’t fighting demons, but chopping fruits flying on the screen. I need not mention each time, but this is ‘addictive’!
Fruit Ninja gives you a free version and lets you buy the full version for $2.99. But I should point out that the graphics didn’t feel as smooth as it does on iOS.
Link: Fruit Ninja Marketplace
Doodle Jump
Doodle Jump is an app that has made news several times. A simple game, million of downloads and one of my first game purchases on the iPhone. Doodle Jump end up as one of the first apps I would download on an iPhone. It costs $.099 on the App Store, but you would be paying $2.99 on WP7 (the free version is very basic and would kill your interest in less than a minute). I would still pay for this. No wonder its on top of the charts even on Windows Phone Marketplace.
Wondering what Doodle Jump is like? I would let you play it and experience. But if you insist here is a video:
Link: Doodle Jump On MarketPlace
Paper Toss
This probably isn’t from the same developer that sell it on the App Store, but this remains free on Windows Phone as well. Paper toss challenges you to throw a jump piece of paper inside the trashcan. The tough part is to aim against the flow of the air. A killer app to kill time. The experience isn’t as polished as its iOS counterpart, but this is a time pass stuff you may end up liking. And yes this one is Free!
Link: Paper Toss on Market Place
Ultra Air Hockey 2
Again, this isn’t an app from the official developer, but Air Hockey is a popular app and can be real fun when played multiplayer. Ultra Air Hockey 2 as it is known on WP7, this app was smooth and performed well to qualify as a replacement for the original counterpart on App Store.
Again Free. Marketplace Link
This certainly isn’t a comprehensive list and to be honest, its tough to find apps on WP7 marketplace yet. We wait for Angry Birds, Cut the Rope and several other top apps from other platforms to make it here (and also a price cut perhaps?). However for now, this is a quick list I could gather from my limited experience of casual gaming so far. Do point me towards interesting apps to try on Windows Phone 7 (yes I use a LG Optimus 7, WP7 phone as my regular phone these days).
