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December 28, 2013

Our favourite 5 new Windows Phone apps of the week



Get your Nokia Lumias at the ready for the final “Windows Phone apps of the week” of 2013!

Ho, ho, ho! Christmas is three days past, but present fever has yet to abate, with the sales already in full swing and the shops all open: well, avoid the crowds, we say! What could you possibly want to buy that could be more exciting, more stimulating and more gratifying than a brand new Windows Phone app? Nothing, you suggest? Why, exactly! So here’s our top five post-Christmas choices!

Dark Lands

What is it? A 2D running game with an RPG vibe

Why we love it? Newly updated, this is a game for horror movie fans: run, slide, attack and defend yourself through a creepy landscape populated by orcs and soundtracked with fear in mind… Clean graphics and straightforward controls (and a useful tutorial level at the start) make this easy to pick up and hard to put down. Warning, though: it’s pretty bloody when you get gored or squished, so maybe best kept for the grown-ups.

Who it’s perfect for: gamers.

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Rabbids Big Bang

What is it? A physics games

Why we love it? Complete 150 missions by launching the Rabbids into space (with a baseball bat) and firing them at targets – coins, animals, you name it. The franchise is popular on other operating systems, so it’s good to see the Rabbids hit WP8, and as gameplay is frustratingly addictive, we think it’ll do very well indeed.

Who it’s perfect for: younger gamers

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Euronews

What is it? A news app

Why we love it? The mobile app from euronews.com, it covers international news in 13 languages, which is good news for the non-English speakers in the smartphone community. News is split into six broad categories for easy browsing, and you can also watch various channels. Top stories are highlighted from the home page. Useful, easy to use and a handy alternative to the more mainstream outlets. A good addition to the Windows Store.

Who it’s perfect for: current affairs fans

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4Blend HDR

What is it? A new photography app

Why we love it? HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. This app works with Nokia Imaging SDK – and is the first app to do so – and, basically, it allows you to take three photos of the same scene at different exposure settings, add a bunch to filters to them and blend them together to make one super-image. Plus, it’ll take a voice-activated photo meaning you can put your phone down to take the shots, minimizing camera shake. We’re very impressed so far and can’t wait to take it for more test-drives. It works on 512 MB phones as well as fancier models, and right now it’s free to download. Go, go!

Who it’s perfect for: Photo nuts

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Toy Story: Smash It!

What is it? A physics game based on the Toy Story film franchise

Why we love it? Okay, that’s two physics games in a week, but we’re got a soft spot for Toy Story. Guide Buss Lightyear through ninety levels of gameplay, where he must use bouncing balls to known down his alien enemies – Emperor Zurg and his minions!. The graphics and soundtrack are just as good as you’d hope and it’s challenging enough to keep you interested. It’s a shame there’s no trial version, but, that said, it’s cute enough to warrant shelling out. To Infinity and beyond!

Who it’s perfect for: kids and fans of the movies

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That’s our final fab five of 2013, what about yours? We think it’s been the best year ever for Windows Phone apps and reckon 2014 will be even more fantastic. If you think so too let us know which apps really rocked your world this year and what you’d love to see at the store in 2014

Image credit: Thomas Rousing