Windows 8 Game of the Week - December 3 - Robotek

Hey guys, I'm going to try and start something new...Polygon has a great, weekly feature, the iOS Watch List. In that article, they cover the newest iOS games and have trailers/descriptions/links to the game. There's always been a bit of rumbling about Android (and to a lesser extent - windows phone) not being included or covered. Well, that has inspired me to come up with the "Windows 8 Game of the Week" feature.

In Windows 8 GotW, I'll cover one game. It will usually be a new release, and I will play/test it on my Surface RT, laptop, and gaming desktop. All this effort to cover which way the game is best enjoyed (touch, mouse, keyboard, or a combination!). Another note, some games, like the one for this week, are not "new" or exclusive to Windows 8. However, my aim is to highlight quality gaming apps that appear on Windows 8 - not focus on whether the game also exists on iPad or Android or even PC already.

Without further ado..I present this week's pick, *Robotek*. Robotek is a simple strategy game. At start, you are presented with a map of the world covered with multicolored dots. Press one of the dots, and you're launched into a fight to the death between you and another mainframe (Robotek's fancy vocab for a robot). There's a slot machine at the top with three categories. You choose which category you want to roll (robots, power ups, or offensive attacks), and then give it a spin. Whatever you draw is played out, and then your opponent gets a turn. The fight goes back and forth until one mainframe is destroyed.

The game is simple to learn but challenging - also addictive. There's a fully fleshed campaign in which you have to conquer the globe by destroying all the enemy mainframes. There's also a free multiplayer arena, where you're randomly matched up with someone online. The game is free to play (with in app purchases to more quickly power up). Give it a spin - whether you play on a tablet or 24" monitor, the game is fun and works well for either touch or mouse.

Link for the Windows 8 store: http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-US/app/robotek/e71a26e6-f9ad-4e8c-b306-f1c32abbdb69