When it comes to the Windows Phone ecosystem, all we hear about is how this app and that app are missing, or how we got an app too late. Meanwhile cool and interesting new apps are being released on Android and iOS every day. Many Windows Phone users are left on the outside looking in, but that’s only the glass-half-empty way to look at things.

Windows Phone is blessed with a lot of great developers, and some of the best apps available on any mobile platform. There are many awesome apps that we get to use every day, but Android and iOS users can’t. Let’s take a look at the top apps exclusive to Windows Phone.

Yes, other platforms have Vine apps (official apps, even), but we have 6sec. The crazy thing about 6sec is it actually has a lot more features than any official Vine app has. When the official Vine app does arrive it will have stiff competition.

AlphaJax is a Scrabble-like word game that got popular enough to become an Xbox Live certified game. You can play against friends or strangers in up to 30 games at once! Plus, it’s a free way to earn achievements. Can’t beat that.

Weather apps are plentiful on any platform, and Windows Phone is no exception. One of the best exclusive weather apps is Amazing Weather HD. They put “amazing” right in the title, and they aren’t lying. They could have also called it “Beautiful Weather,” because this app really shines.

One of our all time favorite apps is Baconit, the best Reddit app available on any platform. Any feature you could imagine is present, and the developer is constantly working to make sure the app takes advantage of new Windows Phone features. Baconit is another great example at what a Windows Phone app can be.

Microsoft Research created a really cool app called BLINK. With BLINK you can take 20 consecutive photos in a matter of seconds. This allows users to get the perfect shot. BLINK also allows you to stitch the images together to create a nifty animation.

When Dsqus arrived on Windows Phone it was a big deal because they don’t have Android or iOS apps. Almost five months later and they still, for whatever reason, are exclusive to Windows Phone. If you comment on a lot of sites (like ours!) this is a nice app for keeping track.

To-do apps are a dime a dozen, but good to-do apps are a little harder to come by. Due is one of the most elegant and easy to use to-do apps we’ve seen. Keep track of all your tasks for today, tomorrow, and whenever with Due for Windows Phone.

Fresh Paint started out as one of the first apps to come with Windows 8, and now recently it has been made available on Windows Phone. It is the most realistic painting app we have ever used, and it’s only available on Windows devices. Be jealous, artsy iPhone owners.

Galactic Reign is the first game to really take advantage of Microsoft’s full ecosystem. It comes in Windows Phone and Windows 8 apps, and they sync game info and progress between each other. This is awesome functionality that you won’t find on other platforms.

Halo: Spartan Assault brings the excitement of Halo combat to touch-based devices for the very first time. It took a long time for Microsoft to bring their most popular console game to mobile, but the wait was worth it. This console-quality game is only available on Verizon devices right now.

Have you ever wanted a document scanner in you pocket? Probably not, that would be uncomfortable. Handy Scan does just that with only the camera on your Windows Phone. It’s a very powerful and handy (eh? eh?) app to have around.

If you’ve ever wanted to just speak to your phone to control the music Hey DJ is exactly what you need. Just launch the pinned shortcut and start telling the app what you want to hear. It’s easy, simple, powerful, and only available on Windows Phone.

Teamwork is key in this dual-character puzzle game. ilomilo started life as an Xbox Live Arcade game, and has since become an Xbox for Windows Phone title. It’s a very high quality game, and tons of fun too. If you like puzzle games you will love ilomilo.

The official YouTube app for Windows Phone is currently under development, but when it arrives it will have to compete with MetroTube. This great 3rd-party YouTube app has many features not found in an official app.

In Mush you can change how your character feels in order to solve puzzles. It’s a very original take on a puzzle game, and it works extremely well. The graphics are cute and fun, and the controls are easy to use. This is one of our favorite Windows Phone games, and it’s even an Xbox Live title.

If you follow this site you know that we hold Nextgen Reader in a very high regard. This app started life as a Google Reader app, but has since moved on to support Feedly. The design is great, the features are awesome, and the developer is always making improvements. It is one of the best RSS readers I have ever used on any platform.

In this free-runner-style game you play as a Ragdoll on a rotating track of blocks. You can jump and spin the track to avoid obstacles, and collect items along the way to buy things from the Ragshop. Ragdoll Run is one of my favorite time killers, and you can only find it on Windows Phone.

Shoot1UP is a vertical scrolling shoot-em up game. Unlike other games in this genre, you won’t be facing the enemy with just one ship. In this game you can build groups of ships (up to 30!) to help you take on the enemy. Shoot1UP also has achievements as a Xbox Live title.

If you like aliens, jet packs, and guns you will love Square Off. In this game you fly around as a little square creature as you try to protect humanity from an alien invasion. There are many power-ups along the way, and new levels to unlock depending on how good you are. And the aliens make a very satisfying “squish” sound when they explode.

Every platform has their fair share of Wikipedia apps, but none are as good as this one made by the same developer as 6sec (listed above). The app is fast, fluid, and gorgeous to look at. And since it’s a Wikipedia app there are no ads, and the app is completely free. Knowledge is power.

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There are many more than just 20 great exclusive Windows Phone apps, but we can’t include them all. Which apps would you put on this list? Let us know your favorites!