I’ve had a few new games filtering through from the Windows Phone Game Preview Program and I’m here to report on the state of Xbox Live on Windows Phone.   I’ve been playing on an HD7 which has been quite impressive with its 4.3 inch screen.  For those of you who don’t know, I won an HTC Titan from the Inner Circle event with Windows Phone and I can’t wait to try games out on the 4.7 inch screen.

Over the past few weeks I’ve played Fusion: Sentient (coupled with its Xbox Live counterpart Fusion: Genesis), Farm Frenzy 2, Shuffle Party and Ghostscape.  I was impressed with one of them and not so much with the others.  Wanna know which?

Fusion: Sentient (Fusion: Genesis on XBLA)

Sentient is one of the few games that takes advantage of the cross-platform support that most gamers expect between Xbox Live on Windows Phone and Xbox 360.  Playing Sentient on Windows Phone will unlock upgrades for your ships in Fusion: Genesis on Xbox Live Arcade.  And trust me you’ll need the upgrades!

Sentient is a Windows Phone exclusive and you’re in control of some devastating robots (aka Sentients) to help you secure the galaxy from evil.  The game really takes advantage of the phone’s technical specs with its design and performance.  It’s one of the better looking games and its gameplay controls are solid.  It’s not as easy as you’d think though because there are quite a few commands you have to remember (Follow, Aggressive Follow etc).

You can trade robots with friends to help them in their cause or get help yourself.  I had fun with Sentient just commanding the variety of robots and watching them pound metal.

With the link between Genesis, it makes it even more fun.  I’d definitely recommend getting both but you don’t have to in order to enjoy either on its own.  It’s from one of my favorite Xbox Live Arcade developers, NinjaBee, so you know it’s good.

Farm Frenzy 2

This is one of the games that didn’t impress me.  It’s another remix so to speak meaning that the game has been out on other platforms for a while.  You’re responsible for building and cultivating the farm.  That includes making your chickens lay eggs, taking produce to the markets and building things.  I’m a fan of these types of games usually but for some reason Farm Frenzy 2 didn’t do it for me.

It may have been how stale the game looks and how lacking in interaction it seemed to be.  I mean I was controlling the chickens and produce but it just wasn’t any fun.  The soundtrack didn’t do much to excite me either.

Shuffle Party

The one thing I have to say first is that this game should be glad that it’s free.  I can’t imagine paying $2.99 for it at all.  It doesn’t look good, it doesn’t play particularly well and it’s just a really dull experience.  At least there are Achievements right?  I’ve wanted a bowling game to enjoy on Windows Phone and this was the closest to get to it.  It doesn’t have a bowling ball but whatcha gonna do?  It has a little puck you use to knock the pins down.  Yes it’s “shuffle” party but c’mon, give me a ball!

Control wise it’s pretty basic.  You flick your finger down the lane at any angle and try to knock the pins down.  It works if only because it’s so simple.  There are a few modes you can play through with Shuffle Party but I’m not sure you’ll want to especially considering that the game includes ads.  I had some fun with it though but it definitely wasn’t the sit on the toilet and play for a while kind of fun.

Ghostscape

Are you ready to be scared?  If you are, then you might want to find another game to scare you.  Ghostscape is no doubt an interesting game to play but it won’t scare you.  The music I thought was interesting as you interacted your way through the game but it’s hard to create atmosphere on a mobile device when the player isn’t really doing anything.

Ghostscape allows you to interact with the world on screen but you don’t get to see your character and how you’re reacting to the world around you.  You simply press on the screen for directions to go to or weapons to use.  The story is interesting but I’d much rather it have been told instead of me having to read it all.  It’s a mobile platform I know but still.  Reading the horror doesn’t quite do it.

Recap

Developer: NinjaBee
Cost: $2.99
Final quote: It’s well worth the exclusive tag and one of the best robot adventures on the mobile landscape.  It’s an RTS worth investing in.  With the cross-platform experience of Fusion: Genesis, it’s money well spent.

8.5
“Standout”

Developer: Alawar Entertainment
Cost: $2.99
Final quote: Who came first the chicken or the egg?  But more importantly will you stick around to find out?

6.0
“Average”

Developer: Microsoft Studios
Cost: Free
Final quote: You can’t beat free and you really can’t beat free with Achievements. Did I mention it’s free?

6.0
“Average”

Developer: Psionic Games
Cost: $2.99
Final quote: It’ll give you a few thrills but don’t expect to be terrified.  Despite the lack of emotion it seems to have, it is no doubt one of the more interesting genres to tackle on Windows Phone.

7.0
“Good”