Back in March I took a pretty deep look at the many great apps (particularly games) that were starting to surface for Windows 8 Consumer Preview and came to the conclusion that there were many great casual games out there.
This is important because with tablet users, casual gaming and general Internet usage tend to be the two most popular uses. My in-laws are NOT gamers by any means, but they use their tablet regularly for games like Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja.
Now that Windows 8 Release Preview is out, it’s time to take another deep look at the apps out there in the Store. Some of the apps were added towards the end of the Consumer Preview, others are brand new. Today, we are going to focus on just a few of the unique gaming apps.
Fruit Ninja
If you enjoy tablet and smart phone games, you’ve probably played this before. Fruit Ninja is a very addictive game that is great on all sizes of screen, from tiny phone screens to massive arcade 50-inch monitors (yes, Fruit Ninja is at many arcades these days). The concept is simple, you cut fruit, you don’t cut the bombs and you try to max out your score.
I now have a 24-inch touchscreen monitor for my newest desktop build, and let me just say, playing Fruit Ninja with my 2-year-old on a huge screen was a TON of fun for the both of us. I can really see how games like this would work well with desktop touch – which is good because Microsoft needs as many reasons as possible to sell consumers on Metro for both tablets and traditional PCs.
I’m pretty sure this is a Windows 8 Metro exclusive at the moment, as I didn’t find it on any other platform when looking for it online. That being said, it is a fun and somewhat quirky game that focuses on trying to get rid of sea monsters that are coming near you. You can use your fingers (or mouse) to slash away and fight them as quick as possible.
There are combinations that you can practice and basically you just need to stay alive as long as possible. Fairly addictive, though obviously not of the same caliber as Fruit Ninja.
Salad Toss
Okay…. when I saw that there was a game about tossing salad, I couldn’t help but ask “Why the heck would someone even bother making this”. That being said, this puzzle game is actually really quite enjoyable! You move veggies around to form 3 or more of the same type in a row and what not. This is a lot like other match puzzle games out there with a salad-themed twist.
Is it an epic must-have Metro game? Nope, but it can certainly kill some time well enough.
Dodo GoGo
This is a platformer of sorts where you jump up and out of the way using onscreen or keyboard controls to get away from danger. This is a simple, easy game that works best with keyboard or even a gamepad.
Again, nothing that special but I choose it to illustrate a point- each of the apps I listed are very different types. Variety is the spice of life, and I’m glad MS has made certain we have many different games from puzzlers to platformers, to simple arcade games.
*****
Overall, Windows 8 has continued to evolve in the gaming department since we first saw it. Is gaming the primary reason you’d be a PC? For some of us yes, but certainly not casual fair like the ones mentioned above. So why focus on gaming apps? For one thing, PC owners and tablet users love casual games, for another, games take more resources and gives us a better look at the true power under the hood with Windows Metro.
Have any opinions about the games I mentioned today?
What do you think of the Metro games so far?
Share your thoughts below.
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