All things WP7 - 28/9/11 - 4/10/11

Well after several rather quiet weeks, its finally got quite busy for the old WP7. So in this week's edition I have the new releases, DOTW plus a brains centered sale as well as the recent news on the Mango update.

First up is the new release which this week is Burn the Rope for £2.29. A simple puzzle game in which you have to, unsuprisingly, burn rope. All is not that simple, as we know fire burns upwards not downwards so you have to tilt your phone to keep the flame alive. As with most puzzle based games it starts off easy but soon gets quite complicated with you having to manage several burning ropes going in different directions as well as different coloured ropes requiring the same coloured flame to burn. It's your typical smart phone puzzle game so if you've finished your current favourite give it a shot though gold medalling every level for all the achievements may be quite a challenge.

Burn the Rope is a challenging game where you try to burn as much rope as you can in each level. There’s a catch! The fire only burns upwards, leaving you to rotate the level to keep your flame alive!

As you progress through the levels, you’ll encounter bugs crawling along the rope. Different bugs have different reactions to the flame. For example, the ant changes the color of the flame so you can burn different colored ropes, and the spider shoots out a web bridge so you can access parts of the level that you could not before.

Burn the Rope is incredibly fun and addictive. You will actually feel like you’re burning a rope, yet there’s no need for a fire extinguisher!

Now we've dealt with the new kid on the block, its time to see which old timers have been marked down this week for you. First up is the official DOTW in Full House Poker for £1.49. For fans of Poker this is a must and if your a big fan of the XBLA version then having this is essential as all your winnings on your phone will be transferred to your XBLA game meaning you'll always have large pots to pla with.

Stack your chips, put on your poker face, and hit the table with Full House Poker, available anytime, anywhere on your Windows Phone 7.

Test your Texas Hold 'Em prowess in Standard Games and Tournaments against a variety of Full House Poker pros. Each pro has unique skills and weaknesses, so watch them closely to learn how to take them down. As you earn XP and level up, you'll unlock cool ways to customize your poker experience.

Reap the rewards of your poker play on both your Windows Phone 7 and your Xbox 360. Build up your bankroll on your phone, and you'll have that stack of chips waiting for you the next time you play Full House Poker on your Xbox 360. Level up on your Xbox 360, and get the respect you've earned the next time you play on your phone. Levels, XP, chips, stats, and unlockables are all shared across both devices.

It's Full House Poker on your Windows Phone 7. So let's deal the cards already!

As an added bonus this week three titles have gone on offer to smarten up your brain in time for these long winter months. First up is Brain Challenge HD for £2.29. This is very much a port of the XBLA title of Brain Challenge and it seems to have kept the same mini games too. For achievement fans though beware this seem to be very glitchy and many of the achievements will not unlock

The best-selling, critically acclaimed brain training franchise arrives on W7 phones!

**Pocket Gamer: “If only real-life education could be as fun as this ace brain trainer…” “It's smart, slick and a pleasure to play.”

This complete brain training program is back with total brain activity coverage, a personalized coach to help all brain profiles and optimized gameplay.

Just like your body, your brain needs exercise to stay in shape. Maintaining it simply involves completing small exercises without pain, stress, or boredom. That’s where Brain Challenge™ comes in! It’s like a real vitamin boost for your brain. More than just a game, Brain Challenge is your personal coach and an entertaining, easy solution for keeping your brain alert. With various fun exercises, train your brain whenever and wherever you want on your W7 phone!

THE ONLY COMPREHENSIVE BRAIN TRAINING PARTNER ON W7 PHONES
- 43 different mini-games.
- Train in 5 categories: Visual, Memory, Logic, Math and Focus.
- Develop personal tools to help prevent stress and explore your creativity.

INTUITIVE AND ENGAGING GAMEPLAY
- Simply touch the correct answer.
- Monitor your progress with detailed stat charts.
- Transform your phone into a personal coach and turn brain training into a fun gaming session!

The ideal partner for your personal growth and well-being!

After taxing your brain with challenges how about some more relaxing traditional braing challenge in the form of Games Chest: Logic Games for £1.49. Already a forum favourite for the chess games, you also have the option to play Sudoku and Minesweeper. A nice little package and at this price excellent for entertainment on long journeys. Achievements are all easily obtainable but will take a lot of time to achieve.

Game Chest: Logic Games Edition gives you the chance to play the classic games: Chess, Sudoku and Minesweeper in an attractive, unified environment. Rich details. Sexy graphics. Play turned based games with friends in Chess. Catchy music. New features. What’s not to love? In addition to playing updated versions of these all-time favorites on a sweet new phone, Game Chest: Logic Games Edition is filled to the brim with exciting rewards to keep you coming back. Unique collectible pins, Game Mastery experience leveling, Leaderboard, and, of course, Achievements are plentiful and abundant to add to your LIVE Gamerscore. As you advance through Game Mastery ranks, you can also challenge your friends to matches in Chess as well as earn spins on the Big Wheel that help boost your progress even more. There's always a fresh challenge or reward just around the corner. Game Chest – Your favorite games, now more fun than ever!

Finally on sale this week, is Puzzle Quest 2 for £3.99. A port of the XBLA title of the same this is essentially the same game but in a stripped down form. So if matching 3 or more of the same icon while combined with an RPG element and story then this is right up your street. This also wins the award for the shortest ever description on the marketplace!!

Escape to a puzzle game fantasy world filled with amazing creatures, powerful weapons, and addictive role playing in this sequel to the award-winning Puzzle Quest.

Short but to the point I guess!

Well after a bumper sale section, its onto the news and well theres only really one story this week and that is the final release of Mango. Sometime over the next 4 weeks we should all be receiving the update to Mango or WP7.5 as its also known. From early reviews and promo blurb this update is looking to give a better OS than both iOS and Android so hopefully we'll be seeing a few more readers of this piece in the near future.

The whole update is centered on social aspects and is creating a one stop place for all your major social network needs. With its already clean and easy OS hopefully people will see the light and WP7.5 will put microsoft in direct competition with its rivals. Obviously as soon as I get the update I'll give a personal run down on what I've noticed but I encourage everyone to share what funky new stuff they find with the new setup as the more we discover on our phones the better they will be.

On a similar note, they've also updated the Windows net marketplace so if you want a one stop location for not only the easiest way to scan the marketplace outside of Zune but plenty of How-to videos showing you all the new tricks in Mango head over to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and sign in!.

Well thats all this week. Hopefully this will help you in your decision on what to spend your cash on this week. I'd like to shout out to DoctorMambo here as he finally topped my standard high score on Flowerz but has yet to beat my Expert skill. The 2100MSP is still up for grabs but it seems Mambo is likely to be the winner as there have been no other real challengers yet.

And so we draw another week to a close. Don't forget if you have any news or want to share an amazing app youve found post away on this board and let us all share in your finds. Till next time, i leave you with my weekly comedy video of a muppet trying to solve the mother of all puzzles - The Rubiks Cube

Is implode a new wp7 game mate?

It was released last week, so its relatively new

Only puzzle quest interests me this week.
But need to make sure its a doable max before I buy anymore.

For anyone who might be interested, the 2 new HTC windows 7.5 (Mango) handsets go on sale tomorrow.

I also noticed an offer in phones 4 u, offering 12months Xbox live gold membership and 800M$ points with either the Radar or Titan.

I'm hoping for a good upgrade deal in the next few weeks so i can get myself a shiny new phone to whore points while i'm at work!

Tenlo wrote:I'd like to shout out to DoctorMambo here as he finally topped my standard high score on Flowerz but has yet to beat my Expert skill. The 2100MSP is still up for grabs but it seems Mambo is likely to be the winner as there have been no other real challengers yet.

Thanks for the recognition! I have now beaten your expert score and would like to claim the prize.

Tricky34 wrote:For anyone who might be interested, the 2 new HTC windows 7.5 (Mango) handsets go on sale tomorrow.

I also noticed an offer in phones 4 u, offering 12months Xbox live gold membership and 800M$ points with either the Radar or Titan.

I'm hoping for a good upgrade deal in the next few weeks so i can get myself a shiny new phone to whore points while i'm at work!

i picked up the titan for my misses yesturday not a bad bit of kit

gambler6464 wrote:

Tricky34 wrote:For anyone who might be interested, the 2 new HTC windows 7.5 (Mango) handsets go on sale tomorrow.

I also noticed an offer in phones 4 u, offering 12months Xbox live gold membership and 800M$ points with either the Radar or Titan.

I'm hoping for a good upgrade deal in the next few weeks so i can get myself a shiny new phone to whore points while i'm at work!

i picked up the titan for my misses yesturday not a bad bit of kit

Its the titan i quite fancy, but for most of the weekend i haven't been able to get onto the Orange website to look at my upgrade choices, but i know i can get a new contract at Phones 4 U for £26 per month (only £1 more than i pay now) pluss £49 upfront!

Got a chance to have a proper look at the Titan and Radar Handsets today. And as nice as the Titan looks with its huge screen, it feels a bit too big in your hand. So i think i'm gonna get the Radar, as it does all the same stuff. But is a bit more compact, and i can have it FREE!