Some Throwback Games Hit Marketplace

Fancy ass 3D graphics are cool and all, but every now and then you just want a simple classic arcade game. A few games hit the Windows Phone Marketplace recently I just want to mention. First up is Pixel Man, which was an Xbox Indie game that’s made it to Windows Phone. You are an intentionally pixelated man (or woman if you choose) and you play in an intentionally pixelated world. The controls are left, right and jump. That’s it. It’s one of those games that’s so simple but requires real concentration and you can quickly get into it. This reminds me of the good old days of Intellivision. There’s a free trial or you can buy it, and have access to 30 levels, for just $.99.

Next up is Ninja by Jirbo. It has even less buttons. You control everything simply by tapping on the screen (anywhere). If you tap the screen you jump, hold it longer and you jump higher (there’s a small meter over your head) and if you’re by a wall you climb it. If you tap rapidly you wield a sword. You don’t control the direction of the ninja. He continually runs until he hits an object and then goes in the opposite direction and keeps going like that. I’ve tried it out and it’s pretty entertaining. It takes a little bit to get used to controlling your player but once you pick it up the concept works well. And, for the holidays it is free.

And let’s finish this by going to its natural conclusion – a game without any screen taps required. It’s Worm hole and it’s a caver/pilot game. Simply tilt the pone to control the ship through a worm hole without touching anything. This one is free and just hit the market.