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'Dead Rising 4' DLC is as ridiculous as you'd expect
Golf, but with ridiculous instruments of death like a fire-breathing triceratops head instead of woods and irons. That's the pitch for Dead Rising 4's season pass of add-on bits and sounds like the best kind of absurdity. Specifically, the "Super Ultra Dead Rising 4 Mini Golf" mode that'll come out some time after the base game's December 6th release date. A post on Xbox Wire says that the game of undead putt-putt is made all the more difficult with zombies acting as hazards and generally getting in the way on the mini links. It isn't the Outlaw Golf sequel we've been clamoring for, but at least it's something.
Planet Minigolf adds YouTube replay support
What isn't ZEN Studios putting into its Planet Minigolf game? Not only will it support PlayStation Move, the game already features an extensive "play, create, share" mode. In addition to the requisite online leaderboards and multiplayer modes, Planet Minigolf adds one of our favorite (and least-used) PS3-exclusive features: the ability to upload replays directly to YouTube. Planet Minigolf is definitely shaping up to be one of the most feature-laden games on the PlayStation Network -- especially considering its $9.99 price. Expect it on the PlayStation Store in the coming weeks.
Airport diversion: Adrenaline Golf Online
I think the iPhone really solves the 'sitting at the airport with hours to kill' problem quite well. As iPhone owners, we know we can browse the web, catch up on email or the news, even check to see why your flight is late. I have another suggestion. Give Adrenaline Golf Online [iTunes link] a try. It is one of the few games that really harnesses the power of 3GS graphics, but look quite good if you are on older hardware, and it works fine on an iPod touch too. The game is basically miniature golf, with a pretty accurate physics engine. There are 72 courses in 3 different game modes. You can play online with golfers all over the world, or just play by your lonesome. There are 4 different playing environments for 18 courses, which is how you get a total of 72. There is beach, forest, lava, and night. The animation and rendering of water and reflections is really stunning. The game play is challenging, and I easily blew an hour working through a couple of the courses. All the courses have 3 difficulty levels, and have interesting challenges in getting your ball in the hole past a series of animated obstacles. I'm not really a big game person, but I was instantly hooked by Adrenaline Golf. If I have any criticism it is that it is hard to predict how a particular hole will play and how far the ball will roll. Eventually I got the hang of it. It might seem a little pricey at U.S. $4.99, but I think the effort involved in making this game was substantial, and I didn't mind the higher tariff. If you're stuck at an airport or have time on your hands I suggest giving this game a try. I think it is especially good for people who like pool and miniature golf. Here's a gallery of some screen shots: %Gallery-79255%
Rumor: Xbox Avatar golf game
Supposedly leaked footage of Avatars playing golf has hit YouTube this week (find it after the break) and some are wondering if it's video of an upcoming golf title featuring the Xbox 360 characters. At E3 2009, Microsoft revealed the casual racing title Joyride -- a free, upcoming XBLA game featuring Avatars -- so it isn't out of the question for Avatars to star in another casual game. The footage showcases Avatars enjoying a rousing game of golf, but still looks very early in development (if it even is). Perhaps it is an actual upcoming game, but it could also be some an Avatar update to the XBLA title 3D Ultra Minigolf or even some XNA-based genius. Time will tell on this rumor.
Okiraku Putter (and Balance Board) Golf
We love the idea of Arc System Works' Okiraku WiiWare game series. Rather than selling yet another sports minigame collection, Arc is selling them a la carte as $5 downloads. With that tiny commitment, even the decision about buying this casual entertainment is a casual one. And if Family Table Tennis is any indication, the games are likely not to be terrible."Casual" may not necessarily mean "simple": the next Okiraku game to come out, Okiraku Putter Golf, allows you to use the Balance Board to fine-tune your golfer's stance, in addition to using motion controls for swinging. That sounds insanely complicated!
Be the King of Clubs
Out in the Nevada desert, next to Big Bubba's Burger Bar and Truck Stop, you'll find King of Clubs. A poker joint? Actually it's a mini-golf course complete with pteranodons on poles and spaceships on strings. Don't worry if the locals look a bit strange; how would you look if you lived on an old nuclear waste dump? We've showed you the title before, but a few new details have emerged in a recent press release from Oxygen Interactive.Trickery and cunning are to be encouraged, with rewards to be earned and the possibility of scoring a hole in none. The game features five themed areas, each of which has its own resident pro. You can see the pros in the picture -- looks like the dress code is informal.King of Clubs hits the Wii in July, with a DS version to follow in September.[Via Go Nintendo]
Gyruss and Minigolf putt onto Arcade
So, today you have two flavors to choose from for your weekly Xbox Live Arcade fix. In the retro side of things, you've got Gyruss, complete with updated 3D rendered graphics, multiplayer (co-op and versus) over Xbox Live, coming in at a cool 400 MS Points. On the other side you've got 3D Ultra MiniGolf Adventures, which features 36 holes, 4 player support over Live, and even a nifty course editor to mix things up with, and that one runs you 800 points. So, not that we're expecting Microsoft to make a habit out of it (yet), but what do you think about having dual releases, with one retro and one "new" game available on the same day?Read: GyrussRead: 3D Ultra MiniGolf Adventures
This Wednesday: XBLA brings Gyruss, Minigolf Adventures, end of world
You'll need to hang on to something for this. When Wednesday arrives, it will bring with it an unstoppable, apocalyptic event that will inevitably tear the very fabric of existence apart and toss a stick of dynamite into the resulting hole. On April 18 at 9AM GMT (2AM PDT), Xbox Live Arcade will receive two new titles. Simultaneously, at the same time, and concurrently! The beast of Armageddon, hideously comprised of both rancid flesh and newborn baby skin, will roll onto the digital shore and spew forth Konami's old-school shooter, Gyruss, and Sierra Online's take on very small Golf, 3-D Ultra MiniGolf Adventures. Coupling the old with the new(er) seems like an excellent strategy to adopt for future release days. Why, it's only matched in sheer brilliance by the concept of releasing more than one game per week. At the rate things move in the gaming world, it's surprising how long it took us to get to the end of it. %Gallery-2596%If you want to shoot things in space (who are coming to kill you, by the way) this week, expect to pay 400 MS points ($5). %Gallery-2599%If swinging clubs is more your thing, be prepared to set aside 800 MS points ($10). And if you want to do both, well, you can!
It's OFFICIAL: Double header on XBLA this Wednesday
The blokes over at Gamerscoreblog just confirmed that 3D Ultra MiniGolf Adventures and Gyruss will both be hitting Xbox Live Arcade this coming Wednesday. They also confirmed our (sound) predictions about the price, with MiniGolf coming in at 800 Microsoft Points and Gyruss at half that, which is standard issue for retro remakes. You can also check out the flickr sets for both games to take a look at their screenshots. So, we asked you before, which of these two are you the most interested in?
XBLA doubling its pleasure this week?
Update: This has since been confirmed by Gamerscoreblog.CVG is getting the word out that this Wednesday may be a first for Xbox Live Arcade. They're saying that we'll not only be getting one, but two Arcade titles available for download. Previously rumored Gyruss will be giving gamers their retro fix, as well as (Hyper) Ultra 3D Minigolf Adventures (Mega Xtreme to The MAXX). Our guess is that Minigolf will run you about 800 MS Points and Gyruss will be 400. That all being said, we're still going to slap the "Rumor" tag on this one until we get more information, as two titles in one week is currently unprecedented. Should this happen to follow through, though, which game would you plan on picking up, if not both?[Via GameStooge]
A behind the scenes look at an iPod game
Apple's use of secrecy is legendary. It extends as far as getting rid of the credits in their software apps so that their engineers are not poached by other companies. Jame Chung, who works for EA, pulls back the veil of secrecy a little and let's us in on what it took to get Mini Golf, one of the new iPod games, ready.Items of interest are: EA was given less than a month to create all the art for the game (which is 3 times longer than the original Mini Golf game that the iPod game is based on). Credits were not allowed in the game Check out the full post for links to the artists that produced the graphics seen in the game.[via Drawn!]
