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Free XBLA game ... if you follow the rules
Itching for a gratis Xbox Live Arcade game? Microsoft is offering one of five titles for free, but you have to follow these four steps: Live in the UK. Sign up for 12 months of Xbox Live Gold between now and January 5. It must be done directly through Xbox Live, meaning you can't use that prepaid card your mom or significant other bought you as a gift. Decide what game you want free: Zuma, Marble Blast, Sonic the Hedgehog, Assault Heroes or 3D Ultra Minigolf. Do this step in your head. Download a gamer pic or theme related to the game. Only the first one counts, so make sure you didn't skip Step 3 before downloading a picture of a putter when you're hoping to nab Sonic. See, folks? Even with digital distribution, TINSTAAFL applies: There is no such thing as a free lunch. Of course, if you were needing to upgrade or renew your subscription anyways, you might as well get something extra out of it.Update: Sorry, one more caveat folks -- it's UK only.[Thanks, Richard]
First Look: Cronk for iPhone / iPod touch
Looking for a game to keep you occupied while Aunt Fern tells you about all of her operations over Thanksgiving dinner? If you like Zuma from Popcap Games, take a peek at Cronk for iPhone and iPod touch (click opens iTunes). This game from Cronk Games, Inc. features a train of boulders of different colors moving around a path. Your job as Cronk the Caveman is to toss boulders of the same color to get three or more boulders of the same color in a row. When you do this, those boulders disappear. If you can eliminate all of the boulders in a given path and save Cronk's village, you gain points and move to a higher level of play. Cronk has a fun soundtrack and good sound effects, and occasional earthquakes make it even more difficult for Cronk to toss his boulder into the right spot in the "rockslide". The game is on sale for $4.99 for a limited time, down from the usual price of $7.99. If I were to make a recommendation to the developers, it would be to drop Cronk's price to $2.99 or less -- that's where another Zuma clone, BlackBeard's Assault, sits price-wise. Check out the gallery for a few more action shots. %Gallery-37949%
PopCap bringing Heavy Weapon, Zuma to PS2 on a single disc
The move from free internet diversion to retail is a daunting leap, yet PopCap has decided to swing across the chasm one more time, announcing a follow-up to last year's PopCap Hits for the PlayStation 2. While 2007's release included a pair of puzzlers in Bejeweled 2 and AstroPop, the sequel, planned for release sometime in June, will change things up a bit, partnering Zuma with the whimsical action sidescroller Heavy Weapon on a single disc. And if that doesn't churn your butter, PopCap has promised a handful of lukewarm extras, chiefly in the form of development histories and tips, meaning the colorblind among us can rest easy knowing that we won't be burning up the phone bill calling the hint line for tips on how to master Zuma's ever-elusive chains. Still, it's impossible to get too worked up about this release, especially given the $19.95 asking price for what we can try -- and get our fill of -- for free through the magic of the world wide web.
Cyberball, Fatal Fury on XBLA next week, limited price drops this weekend
Eager to ditch the office for the last rays of summer sun, Microsoft has let loose word of next week's Xbox Live Arcade update a bit early. Ready for this...? A pair of Silver Age arcade ports: Cyberball 2072 (400 points): X3F calls it "football for nerds" where today's deficiencies are replaced with robots and the pigskin explodes. 2072 is the 1989 update to the original Atari game and is better known as Tournament Cyberball, which still captivates competitive circles of, um, nerds. Fatal Fury Special (400 points): Fatal Fury 2 with bells and whistles, namely some old fighters and playable bosses. As Garou Densetsu Special, the game became a huge hit in Japan for successfully transplanting Ryo Sakazaki (from sister franchise Art of Fighting) as a hidden character, laying the seed for SNK's The King of Fighters series. Nearly 15 years later, perhaps the innovation is lost on us. And for those in search of an alternative to the weekend's poolside barbecue, Microsoft has also announced a Labor Day XBLA sale, dropping Zuma and Small Arms from to 800 to 400 Microsoft Points, and Dig Dug and Gauntlet from 400 to 200 points. The sale begins at 5:00 PM PT on Saturday, Sept. 1st, and ends at 4:59 PM PT on Monday, Sept. 3rd. Nothing like half-priced underperformers, eh?
EB-Gamestop launches download service, "largely garbage" declares 1UP
EB Games and Gamestop have launched a download service, staking claim in the growing industry trend to distribute content digitally. If you're familiar with the conglomerate retailer's websites, the setup is straightforward, giving browsers near-instant access to over 1,000 PC titles; though it's a collection that has been criticized by 1UP as being "largely garbage." We're also concerned about prices. The games range from $9.99 to $49.99, but, for example, Texas Hold 'Em and Zuma, which are featured on the Gamestop (pictured) and EB pages, both retail for $19.99, whereas XBLA versions of the same games retail for just $10. Still, as 1UP points out, there are a few gems to be unearthed from the trash heap (e.g., 1942, Civilization III, Deus Ex, & Heroes of Might and Magic). Unfortunately, the sites lack a satisfying interface for sorting out these favorites from the rubbish. Looks like an act of desperation to us. This service needs a makeover and more reasons for us to check it out. Anyone cashed in on a game yet? How are the download speeds? [Via 1UP] Shop - Gamestop Shop - EB Games
Casual players act hardcore, win loot
Something's perverse about the idea of a casual games tournament, but that's exactly what happened when 71 gamers who don't speak a word of l337 gathered to compete in Bejeweled 2, Solitaire and Zuma. We're having trouble imagining a LAN party without overwhelming BO, shouts of "pwnt!" and at least one Y chromosome for every X, but that's what Fun Technologies claims happened this past weekend in Hollywood, CA. To be serious for just a second: casual games tournaments are nothing new. Scrabble, Chess, Poker and Bridge tournies have been around for many years (in some cases, hundreds of 'em). This may well be the biggest prize awarded in a software-based casual game tournament, though. Professional FPS players the world over can now rest easy. When ya'll are too old and slow for FPS competitions, you won't need to start endorsing Mueslix and Viagra. Instead, prolong your glory days on the casual gaming circuit. [In the image: champion Kavitha Yalavarthi, with her winnings and her fiance.]
