Geometry Wars Vista launches

Like an aeroplane flying from Singapore to Heathrow that sodding well decides to do laps around Bovingdon just before it lands, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved has spun wearily to a halt on MSN Games' Windows Vista channel, where it's now available for US$ 7.95.

Already a huge success on Xbox Live Arcade (where it costs 400 Microsoft points, or GBP 3.40 in old money), Geometry Wars is a colourful two-stick shooter of surprising depth. Its conversion to Vista has been handled in-house at Bizarre Creations, with "extensive input" from its original creator Stephen Cakebread.

It's been updated a bit, too, to do more PC things. You can change the resolution (although you'll need a beefy PC to get the most out of it if you want to go as high as our flat panel's 1920x1200 resolution), or play in a desktop window. Control-wise, it supports keyboard, keyboard and mouse, and single or dual-stick joypads, including the "Xbox 360 Controller for Windows".

Sadly, with the Windows version of Xbox Live still a ways off, there are no achievements to unlock (a shame, as the Xbox version had some good ones, including "Pacifism", which is one of the best examples of the system being put to use), but as you will know if you've followed our previous ramblings on the subject, there's still a lot to enjoy.

Thankfully there's a downloadable trial version, too, which - like its Xbox Live Arcade cousin - limits you to four minutes of play before it boots you out and insists you pay for the rest. To grab it, just visit the MSN Games page and click on the link in the top left.

We recommend you do. Meanwhile, MSN Games Vista channel also welcomes the introduction of Bliss Island (previously available for XP and PSP) and Crystal Quest (previously on XP and Xbox Live Arcade), which join the likes of Darwinia and Luxor 2 in Microsoft's brave new-old world.