Last weekend, Microsoft gave an early Valentine’s Day gift to its fans in the form of three Xbox Game Pass titles being made free to play for all Xbox Live Gold subscribers for a limited time. Featuring Surviving Mars, Dead By Daylight, and Hello Neighbor, it was a great weekend for Xbox players looking to catch up on games. However, it seems the company wasn’t entirely done treating its eager fanbase.
Announced via Xbox’s Twitter, there’s an entirely new batch of free games available to play from February 13 to 16. The picks provided by Microsoft range from colorful platformers to incredibly popular sports games, with Xbox seemingly offering an experience for everyone to sink their teeth into this weekend.
The biggest game on the list is easily NBA 2K20, which, as many will know, is the newest in the annual series of basketball games published by 2K. While the game has come quite a long way since it released back in September, NBA 2K20 was initially met with a lot of criticism due to its excessive use of microtransactions and huge number of technical flaws. Luckily, it seems players who stayed away from the game due to its bad reputation will finally have the chance to get a taste of the title for free this weekend. Every edition of the game will also be discounted by 67% on the Xbox Live Marketplace as well.
The second title available is Sonic Mania; the vibrant love letter to the old-school Sonic games that garnered tons of praise when it released back in late 2017. With the Sonic the Hedgehog movie releasing recently, it seems having access to a nostalgic Sonic experience will be a massive draw for players, especially as many refer to Mania as the best game in the franchise for years. It will also be discounted by 50% on the Xbox Live Marketplace.
The final title provided by Microsoft for Xbox Live Gold users is Super Monkeyball: Banana Blitz HD. The Xbox One remaster of the popular 2006 entry in the Super Monkey Ball franchise, Banana Blitz originally released on the Nintendo Wii to middling reviews. However, it’s gained a lot more traction now its been ported to modern consoles, with Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch editions all currently available. With the Xbox One version playable for free, it seems like the best time for new players to finally give Super Monkey Ball a go. Much like Sonic Mania and NBA 2K20, the game will also see a discount on the Xbox Live Marketplace, with the price lowering by 25%.
