Casual smash hits coming to WP7

Some of the most popular casual games ever will be released on Windows Phone 7 over the next two months.

This will kick off on May 25th with Hydro Thunder GP, the Xbox Live racer that re-imagines the classic powerboat game, followed by cutesy platformer Doodle Jump on June 1st.

Microsoft’s geoDefence will go live on June 8th, featuring achievements and Xbox Live leaderboards that let mobile gamers compare their scores with those of console owners. Meanwhile Sega’s Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 will be released on June 15th.

This wave of casual blockbusters draws to a close with PopCap’s Plants Vs Zombies on June 22nd and Rovio’s Angry Birds on June 29th. These two are among the most successful games in their market of all time, driven largely by the iPhone and iPad versions.

Prices for the Windows Phone 7 versions of these titles will range between 2.49 and 5.99.