Temple Run and its sequel are two extremely popular games on other mobile platforms that have yet to migrate to Windows Phone. We know one of them is coming eventually, but unfortunately the series creator Imangi has been tight-lipped with details. Still, Temple Run isn’t the only 3D endless runner in town.
Subway Surfers from Kiloo also has quite a following on competing platforms. Technically the characters slide, glide and fly around on vehicles as opposed to running, but it’s definitely an endless runner at heart. And soon we’ll be subway surfing on Windows Phone 8!
Secrets of subway surfing
iOS screenshots
As the name implies, the entire game takes place along subway and train tracks. Players control one of several young graffiti artists who are on the run from the MAN. They must avoid numerous obstacles and even jump on top of trains in their mad dash for freedom.
One reason Subway Surfers has risen in popularity is its highly approachable art style. Whereas Temple Run has kind of a serious, realistic look based on the Indiana Jones movies and the Tomb Raider games, Subway Surfers is much brighter and cartoonier. Both looks are completely valid, but I can see why some people would prefer this game’s looks.
Of course, the price surely doesn’t hurt either. Subway Surfers is a free-to-play game. The goal is to collect coins and use them to unlock things, just like Gunstringer: Dead Man Running. Not everybody wants to wait though, so some users spend real money on coin packages. Temple Run works the same way.
Other features include four different playable characters, lots of vehicles to unlock, including a jetpack, and social integration that allows users to challenge and help each other. The Windows Phone port will definitely have some social features, as evidenced by the ‘Friends’ button at the bottom of the title screen.
Windows Phone questions
We learned about the Windows Phone port of Subway Surfers from the Lumia 720 photo at top, which Kiloo posted on the game’s Facebook page and Italian site Plaffo initially discovered. From the picture, we can infer that the game probably requires Windows Phone 8 to run. That’s no surprise as it’s far easier to port iOS games to Windows Phone 8 than 7.
The big question for many of us is whether this game will be Xbox Live-enabled or not. My gut says no, but the game is certainly popular enough to warrant Xbox status. It’s just that Xbox Live certification is such an arduous process that many developers choose to bypass it and publish their games as indie titles instead.
Xbox Live or not, we’d love to know when the game will actually be coming out. The Facebook post doesn’t say, so we’re flying blind on this one. But given the fact that Kiloo has shown the game presumably running on an actual Windows Phone, it’s probably fairly close to completion. Let’s hope so, as Windows Phone needs a 3D endless runner in a bad way!
We’ve reached out to Kiloo and will report back if we learn anything more about Subway Surfers.
Source: Facebook; via Plaffo
Update 1
Sorry folks, as it turns out that image and the news for the story come from a faked Facebook account, albeit one with many people unknowingly following/liking it. We're still waiting to hear from the developers directly, but as of right now it's not looking accurate. Here's the real Facebook page for that company. Thanks, 19kev98, for the heads up
Update 2
The game was released on Windows Phone in December!
