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Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime screens are haunted by an evil subway car
Beyond the requisite winged atrocities, demons and a possessed subway car, these new Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime screenshots feature plenty of fireworks displays, courtesy of the new gang's overactive proton packs. And, hey, it looks like you can totally cross the streams now!
See Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime in action
Riding on the slimey coattails of last week's announcement, Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime received the full media push this morning, with a handful of screens and a debut gameplay trailer (found after the break). Alongside receiving assets, we learned that the Behavior-developed game will follow a team of rookie ghostbusters "on a brand new paranormal experience" in New York City. As teased in the trailer by a giant, sentient subway line, players will take down ectoplasm-filled enemies and "gigantic bosses" with several characteristic ghostbustin' weapons (insert "don't cross the streams!" joke here). It seems the old ghostbusters -- and the actors that voice them -- will be sitting this one out. We reached out to Slimer's representation for more information, and will update this post if we hear anything back. Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime should arrive on XBLA, PSN, and PC "this Spring."%Gallery-109442%
Artificial Mind and Movement rebrands; (re)introducing Behaviour Interactive
You may not know the name "Artificial Mind and Movement" but its one of the oldest and largest independent game developers working today and also the oldest operating developer in gaming superhub Montreal. A2M, as it's been called, began work on original IP, creating Jersey Devil for the PlayStation in 1998. But back then it was known as Behaviour Interactive and, beginning today, it will be Behaviour Interactive once again. We spoke with CEO and founder Rémi Racine about the name change, what it means for his studio and its goal of becoming a consumer-facing developer instead of a business-facing work-for-hire studio. "We're trying to do more and more of our own IP," Racine told Joystiq. "Our name becomes more and more present to the game community when you do your own stuff, so that triggered the change" to Behaviour Interactive. "Because of Wet and Naughty Bear and the Wanako brand and Assault Heroes, we're moving more and more into our own IP."
XBLA in Brief: Assault Heroes 2
In the latest XBLA in Brief, we check out Assault Heroes 2, the sequel to one of Xbox Live Arcade's best action titles. The sequel takes the foundations of the first game and adds new weapons and vehicles into the mix. The on-foot gameplay has been dramatically improved as well. Check out the video and find out whether or not Assault Heroes 2 belongs in your XBLA library. [iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes. [Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon). [RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [M4V] Download the M4V directly.
Assault Heroes 2 assaults XBLA
click to enlarge After all the Spring Showcase excitement yesterday, it's hard to come to terms with the fact that it's just another plain ol' Wednesday now. How could you possibly stifle the Wednesday doldrums? Oh that's right, it's Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday! That means there's a brand new Xbox Live Arcade game available. To top it all off, it's actually a sequel to one of XBLA's best shooters. Yup, it's Assault Heroes 2. It's like Assault Heroes, except with more weapons, new vehicles, and, of course, more massive destruction. Go grab the trial version and see whether or not massive destruction is your thing (we're betting it is). Let's just hope they fixed the faulty co-op this time around. %Gallery-22641%
This Wednesday: Assault Heroes 2 shoots everything on XBLA
We're afraid the sequel to Assault Heroes is still not an open-ended, city-dwelling game where you're tasked with punching firemen and war veterans. Sierra Online's Assault Heroes 2, which is scheduled to demolish the Xbox Live Arcade lineup this Wednesday, is very much in line with 2006's omni-directional shooter, though we suspect we won't be able to make jokes about a broken multiplayer mode this time. Instead, we'll have to deliver punchlines that involve the sequel's more destructive weaponry, ability to hi-jack enemy vehicles and high volume of "relentless enemies and outrageous bosses." And sometimes, it has all of that, with two-player co-op ... in space! It's yours for 800 MS Points ($10). %Gallery-18238%
Assault Heroes 2 assaults the XBLA this week
Is should come as no surprise that this Wednesday, May 14th, Sierra's Assault Heroes 2 will make its release to the Xbox Live Arcade to the joy of arcade gamers worldwide. This 800 Microsoft point sequel builds upon the original Assault Heroes formula by making battles more intense, adding new weaponry, making vehicles hijackable and, of course, co-op gaming. Get excited, because lots of "boom!", "kablaam!" and "sizzle!" is headed to the XBLA this week. %Gallery-22641%
Video: meet the bosses of Assault Heroes 2
With less than a week to go before Assault Heroes 2 arrives on Xbox Live Arcade (it's scheduled to drop on May 14), Sierra is ramping up the publicity, releasing a new two part trailer featuring some of the game's massive bosses. There seems to be an obsession with throwing mechanized versions of various fauna at players this time around, as the bosses featured in the video are the Mecha Gorilla, Mech Scorpion, Mecha Killer Orca (really?), Mecha Snake, Mecha Quadruped, and Mecha Demolition (guess they ran out of animals with that last one). Suffice it to say that the bosses are appropriately huge and they seem to be capable of dealing death quite adequately. We approve. Find the second trailer after the break.
Assault Heroes 2 video extravaganza
Look! It's an Assault Heroes 2 video extravaganza complete with seconds upon seconds of explosive in-game Assault Heroes 2 action! Watch as destruction is dealt out in two player cooperation. Watch as tanks fall apart, choppers drop from the sky and points get accrued. And all that's just in the one video above! There are two more Assault Heroes 2 gameplay videos embedded after the break that promise twice as much video goodness. That's why we're calling it a video extravaganza!
Joystiq impressions: Assorted Sierra XBLA games
Sierra recently showed off its upcoming crop of XBLA games at a media event. While a couple have promise, most could be buried by the quantity or quality of competitors. All are confirmed only for XBLA, but Sierra is considering PSN versions of most. All will be out this Summer.
Assault Heroes 2 assaults the XBLA May 14th
Wanako Studios' Assault Heroes has garnered a pretty solid following since its December 2006 release to the Xbox Live Arcade, so one could only expect the Assault Heroes 2 sequel to be just as successful. Especially since Wanako improved upon the explosive formula by adding the ability to hijack vehicles, encounter new enemies and experience new co-op gameplay. So, those fanboys who just can't wait to blow things up will be excited to hear that the 800 Microsoft point Assault Heroes 2 has just been confirmed for a May 14th release to the XBLA. Get ready and get explosive!
Assault Heroes 2 achievements (hint: shoot things)
MyGamercard.net has revealed the achievements for Sierra Online and Wanako's upcoming XBLA shooter Assault Heroes 2. The secret to most of the achievements lies right there in the genre: shooting stuff. The trick is just how you shoot them and who you do it with. The achievements offer a nice mix of single and multiplayer achievements, and it doesn't sound like any of them are too difficult, but it's hard to say before we know how difficult the game is in general. Our favorite achievement is definitely Smoothie Heroes. Not only does the name reference a delicious frozen treat, but the description for obtaining the achievement earns points for creativity: "Co-op Campaign: Kill 100 infantry, one player freezes & the other shatters, on Hard in one session." Hit the "read" link for the complete listing..
Doom, Assault Heroes become $5 XBLA Hits
Perhaps, like us, you occasionally feel the urge to parade through the neighborhood, toting nothing but an impossibly huge rocket launcher and a desire to vaporize anything that, well, isn't you. And perhaps, like us, you realize (before it's too late) that these impractical desires are best expressed in video games such as Sierra Online's Assault Heroes or id Software's iconic Doom. It's certainly a lot cheaper. In fact, the two aforementioned games will be added to Xbox Live's Arcade Hits program this Wednesday, March 19th, resulting in a 50% discount to 400 MS Points ($5) each. As Microsoft is keen to point out in the same press release, your determined point pinching may just come in handy for a lineup of new titles due to arrive on Xbox Live Arcade "in the near future:"
Assault Heroes 2 blows up XBLA this Spring
Confirming an earlier ESRB listing, Sierra Online has announced a sequel to its popular top-down arcade shooter, Assault Heroes. Promising to "expand its horizons into outer space," Assault Heroes 2 will feature cooperative gameplay, hi-jackable enemy vehicles and, by the looks of things, at least one robot mammoth. We rather like those. Developed by Wanako Studios, Assault Heroes 2 is scheduled to arrive on Xbox Live Arcade this Spring. Be sure to check out IGN's preview for further details. %Gallery-18238%
Assault Heroes 2 coming to XBLA
Though it's been on the radar before thanks to an early ERSB review, Assault Heroes 2 had never been an official XBLA title; until now. IGN posted a preview and video of the game and it already looks to be improving greatly on the original in a whole host of ways. Wanako Games is bringing us the sequel to the original hit with the community and feedback in mind, implementing changes such as putting more emphasis on co-op and creating more varied three-dimensional levels. The on-foot sections of the game have also been fleshed out, to raise them to the same level of quality as the rest of the game. Though the core gameplay and visual appearance are almost identical, those things weren't exactly broken to begin with, and should remain as engaging as ever when Assault Heroes 2 hits later on this spring.
Lost Planet: Colonies, Assault Heroes 2 rated by ESRB
Although Capcom has yet to announce Lost Planet: Colonies (or even explain what it is), Gamespot has pointed to the Xbox 360 and PC game's existence on the ESRB's frequently revelatory database. The mysterious Lost Planet: Colonies was first discovered last year, when Germany's USK rated the game and fueled speculation regarding the game's genre and relation to Capcom's 2007 action smash. The ESRB also lists an equally unannounced Assault Heroes 2 for Xbox 360, which logic would dictate is a sequel to XBLA's well-received Assault Heroes.
Sierra Online details upcoming PC, XBLA lineup
Vivendi Games' Sierra Online division has revealed a number of details concerning its lineup of XBLA and PC releases throughout the remainder of the year, including a number of previously announced titles as well as two new games, one where you get to shoot aliens (pictured) and another where you..well...play with bunnies. Earlier this year following the appointment of XBLA's former portfolio lead Ross Erickson to Sierra Online we predicted that the company had big plans for the downloadable space, and given the breadth of today's announcements that assumption looks more correct than ever. The two new titles announced today include a particularly interesting sounding "third person retro-arcade shooter" called Aces of the Galaxy, where players man the turret of an AI-driven spaceship to shoot down waves of bad guys, and the strangely titled Boogie Bunnies, where players will match up colorful rabbits in a "match-three puzzle game." Both of these will arrive for both the PC and XBLA this winter. In addition, Sierra confirmed that Wanako Studios' top-down XBLA shooter Assault Heroes will make the move to retail shelves and unspecified digital download services for the PC for $19.99 on October 23. The earlier acquired Latin American studio is also developing the hack-and-slash dungeon crawler Arkadian Warriors (formerly called Artemis Warriors), which will launch this fall from Sierra for the PC and over XBLA, though we hope that this time they'll manage to get multiplayer working from day one.
Assault Heroes finally patched ... almost
Let's say your game shipped with a horrendous multiplayer bug that prevented many people from connecting to online co-op sessions. Would you fix it? Would you fix it quickly? If you're part of Wanako and Sierra Online, and your game is Assault Heroes for Xbox Live Arcade, then your answer is clearly "no." Yes, Assault Heroes was added to the XBLA library last December and played host to a serious co-op problem, namely that co-op games could not be joined by many people. Now, seven months later, a title update for Assault Heroes has finally been released. There's only one problem: you can't download it. In a particularly delicious bit of irony, you are greeted with an error message the moment you accept the update prompt. Oy vey. Let's hope the Assault Heroes team gets their ducks in a row and fixes this problem soon.
Vivendi acquires Wanako Games
Vivendi Games has announced its acquisition of the largest game development studio in Latin America, Wanako Games. Best known for its Xbox Live Arcade title, Assault Heroes, Wanako is expected to bolster Vivendi's Sierra Online division and expand its presence in the exceedingly colorful world of digitially distributed games. Wanako is currently working on 3-D Ultra Minigolf Adventures for Xbox Live Arcade. Wanako founder, Esteban Sosnik, seems pleased as punch by Vivendi's decision. "In working with Sierra Online on Assault Heroes it quickly became clear that our companies shared the same core values in game development and by joining together we could develop and deliver amazing products," he says. Indeed, this enhanced collaboration might just grant Wanako and Sierra Online the ability to develop and deliver an amazing patch for Assault Heroes, which has suffered from broken online multiplayer since its release over two months ago.
Joystiq review: Assault Heroes (XBLA)
It really is quite unnerving how rapidly a game like Assault Heroes can expose a terrifying desire, possibly even an instinct, amongst every single gamer alive. Perhaps it's just common sense, but when something moves, we absolutely have to kill it. Whether it's a tank, an alien, a robot or just a poorly constructed mass of pixels meant to represent evil, taking a step towards us is rarely interpreted as a welcoming gesture. No, sir. That step was your last. That isn't to say we're a naturally violent lot. Some games simply slip into that easily accessible groove where things come rushing at you and your brain automatically makes sure that a bullet's gone out to greet them. Assault Heroes taps into this familiar area with some precision, much like a group of miners donning helmets and heading into a nostalgia mineshaft. They'll come back with the shiny things you adore, but it's not like you haven't seen any of it before. Maybe you've witnessed it in a necklace or ... let's just forget this metaphor. It's crap.
