During the Gamescom conference in Germany this week, Microsoft announced several new features to the Windows Phone Games Hub in its upcoming “Mango” release – one of which we haven’t heard about before. Here’s the list of new features, according to Windows Phone team blog post:
- Avatar Awardables: Like achievements—but wearable. Once unlocked, these items will automatically appear in your avatar closet and can be worn on your avatar’s sleeve as a badge of honor. “Chickens Can’t Fly,” a forthcoming Xbox LIVE release, will be among the first titles to feature them.
- Game Add-ons: In the Xbox LIVE title “Beards & Beaks," players can purchase extra mushrooms and other items from within the game using Microsoft Points. In the months ahead, keep your eyes out for more titles in Marketplace that let you buy in-game add-ons and downloadable content like extra weapons or levels.
- Parental Controls: The next release of Windows Phone gives parents more control of what content their child can access on Windows Phone, including M-rated (Mature) games. The first M-rated Windows Phone title, “Splinter Cell: Conviction,” is scheduled to arrive in the Marketplace later this fall.
- Fast Async: A new Xbox LIVE service coming this fall that improves gameplay for multiplayer, turn-by-turn (or asynchronous) Windows Phone games.
Furthermore, Microsoft also announced 14 new Xbox LIVE titles heading its way to Windows Phone, including “Kinectimals Mobile”, which allow players to transfer their “Kinectimal” from their Xbox 360 to their Windows Phones using QR codes. The full list of games is shown below:
 |
Bug Village Build and nurture a colony of active ants and busy bees. Construct homes to attract playful bugs and direct them to the garden, where they can gather resources to expand your village. Small is beautiful in bug village. |
 |
Burn the Rope Burn as much rope as you can in this challenging puzzle game. The catch? Fire only burns upwards. So you’ll have to madly tilt and turn your phone to keep the flame alive. |
 |
Chickens Can’t Fly You’re a corporate scientist assigned to see what chickens are capable of, answering critical questions such as: Is there life after the butcher? Are chickens afraid of ghosts? Does frozen chicken get dizzy? |
 |
Collapse! The blockbusting, color-matching excitement of “Collapse!” returns with award-winning gameplay, all-new customizable characters, and fantastic new foes. |
 |
Farm Frenzy 2 If you think the big city is crazy, wait until you get a load of country life. Manage a wild and wacky farm by growing grass, feeding chickens, collecting eggs and taking your produce to market. |
 |
Fight Game Rivals Become the king of kings among tournament fighters around the world. Enter different tournaments on distinct locations, earn credits and unlock devastating attacks and skills. |
 |
Gravity Guy In a world where gravity laws were broken, a brave guy was held captive for defying the rules. Not happy, he decided to escape. Your job: guide him through a world of impossible mazes, flipping gravity at will. |
 |
IonballEX A modern twist on a classic Breakout-style game, all delivered in a unique steampunk style. |
 |
Kinectimals Mobile Play with, care for, and fall in love with your very own Kinectimal cub. The hit Xbox 360 game comes to Windows Phone. |
 |
MUSH This puzzle platformer (and Windows Phone exclusive) gives you control over how your character feels. Change their emotions by drawing smiles and sad faces, and by rotating or shaking the phone. |
 |
Orbital An addictive puzzle game that challenges you to destroy as many orbs as possible. |
 |
Shoot 1UP With your home world ruined, lead your detached battalion’s charge by destroying the mechanical-tentacle hybrid attack forces responsible for your pain. |
 |
TextTwist 2 From Game House, creators of “Bounce Out” and “Collapse!”, comes a more cerebral challenge: How many words can you form in two-and-a-half minutes with a handful of random letters? Figure out the combination with the most letters and move to the next level. |
 |
Toy Soldiers Boot Camp Wage war on a tiny scale with four fun and addictive shooting gallery mini-games from “Toy Soldiers: Cold War”. |
You can also check out some of these games in action in the video below:
Click here to view the video on YouTube.