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Undertow, Puzzle Fighter rated by ESRB
The ESRB database has been updated with several new Xbox 360 titles. Most notable among these are the Xbox Live Arcade releases, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (E) and Undertow (E10+ oh noes!). Also rated was Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, a title with which we are completely unfamiliar. A quick look around the internet reveals that it's exactly what it sounds like: Dynasty Warriors with giant mechs instead of human warriors. Also rated was Hour of Victory, which recently had a (terrible) demo released on Xbox Live Marketplace. We already knew Puzzle Fighter was planned as a July release, but this may mean that Undertow will be coming sooner than we thought. Let's hope so; we can't wait to try out underwater Battlefield. [Via GameStooge]
Win Band of Bugs from X3F
Update: A winner has now been selected. Click here to see the winner.Insects. Turn-based strategy. At first glance, these two things don't seem to go together. As it turns out though, Band of Bugs (from our friends at NinjaBee) proves that war and insects are the digital equivalent of peanut butter and chocolate. We managed to snag an Xbox Live Marketplace download code for this delicious concoction and we're giving it away to one lucky reader. If you'd like your shot at winning, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. We'll pick a random winner today at 4:00PM Eastern, just in time to enjoy the game after work. Get to commenting and good luck!General contest stuff: only one entry per person. Winner will be contacted via email.%Gallery-4176%
Wing Commander Achievements step into the Arena
Wing Commander Arena's Achievements have been uncovered for all fanboys to gaze their eyes upon. It has the Xbox Live Arcade standard of 200 Gamerscore awarded across 12 Achievements. This also is the second Arcade title to be published by Electronic Arts, the first of course being Boom Boom Rocket. The Achievements themselves seem to have a heavier focus on multiplayer than that found in other titles and hopefully will be a lot of fun to unlock should the game be a blast as well. We'd like to remind you that the rumor from back in January, and its source, was right. Stay tuned at X3F as we've got some pretty cool Wing Commander news coming down the pipeline.
Undertow devs: nothin' but Unreal from now on
Independent developer, Chair Entertainment, has signed an exclusive agreement with Epic to use its Unreal Engine 2.0. Chair is currently in the Xbox 360 spotlight for its Xbox Live Arcade title, Undertow. According to the agreement, Chair will use Unreal Engine on all of its current and future projects. What exactly these projects are remains a mystery, as Undertow is currently the only Chair project of which we are aware. Whatever Chair's future plans, Undertow remains an intriguing project, cramming CTF gameplay, a campaign mode, and Unreal graphics into an impressive 50MB package.Check out our new Undertow gallery below.%Gallery-4130%Update: Chair will continue to use the Unreal Engine for its products, not the Unreal Engine 2.0 specifically.
Coming to Xbox Live Arcade: The Office?
You might have read over at Joystiq that MumboJumbo is working on a video game based on NBC's The Office. The game is set to feature the characters from the show depicted as bobblehead dolls. Players will be challenged to complete jobs and pull pranks around the office. Currently, the game is slated to appear on the DS, PSP, and PC. According to Variety, the game won't be developed for new-gen consoles because of its relative simplicity. XBLArcade begs to differ, noting that MumboJumbo's deal includes the option to create the title for Xbox Live Arcade.MumboJumbo recently released Luxor 2 on XBLA, so they definitely have experience with the platform. Whether or not The Office will actually make an appearance on Live Arcade remains only a rumor at this point.Now, if we could just get The Office to make an appearance on Video Marketplace, we'd really be getting somewhere.
New PDA games available for Alien Hominid
When The Behemoth's crew isn't too busy making custom trophies, or working on Castle Crashers, they're obviously throwing together some PDA stages for Alien Hominid HD. The second pack of 100 PDA levels is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace for 150 Microsoft Points. If you're in a spending mood, you can also pick up some new gamer pictures, as there are two packs with 5 pics a piece, each for 100 MS Points. Do you play the PDA minigame in Alien Hominid? If so, do you play solo or multiplayer?
Band on Bugs swarms Arcade
Band of Bugs, the insectoid strategy game from NinjaBee is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. For 800 Microsoft points you get a single player campaign, standalone missions, multiplayer and a map editor. Also available are two packs with three gamer pics a piece, for just 50 points each and a theme for 150 MS points. This game has caught our attention for bringing some unique experiences on Xbox Live Arcade, are you going to give it a shot today?
David Edery talks XBLA and its future
Longtime X3F reader, LunarDuality has posted an interview (also posted at XBLArcade) with David Edery, Worldwide Games Portfolio Planner for Xbox Live Arcade. The interview (part one in a series) focuses on the recent string of Live Arcade titles and the future of XBLA. Readers will recall that Live Arcade only recently began to deliver on the promise of a new game every week. Edery notes that this trend is likely to continue, with the double releases occurring "more often than not." He admits that it's possible we might see the occasional week with no release, though that possibility is "very remote." Edery also takes time to answer questions about Microsoft's portfolio strategy, the possibility of Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Vol. 2, casual vs. hardcore, and many other topics. Hit the "read" link to check it out.
USK removes Marathon 2 rating for 360
Either we spoke too soon, or Microsoft's ninjas are pretty damned quick. X3F readers will recall that the USK (essentially Germany's version of the ESRB) rated Marathon: Durandal for the Xbox 360 last week. This led us to assume that our wild speculation from last November was true, and that Marathon was making its way to Xbox Live Arcade. Now, it looks like something is amiss. We checked the USK listing during our weekly Fancast recording session on Sunday, and lo and behold, the listing was gone (gasp!). No, really, check for yourself. So, here's the question: was the USK hallucinating, or has Microsoft demanded that the USK lower the veil of secrecy on what should have been a top-secret project?
Band of Bugs squashes out its Achievements
NinjaBee Games was kind enough to give out an exclusive peek at the Achievements for their upcoming Xbox Live Arcade title, Band of Bugs. Unfortunately, there is no award for tinkering around with the map editor that we showed you video of last week, but all in all it looks pretty evenly spread out. Also, the release of Achievement information only shows how much closer we are to a game's release, especially XBLA titles. Do you expect Band of Bugs to be another hit from NinjaBee?
How to make a hi-def SFII sprite
By now you probably know that we're pretty excited about Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. We've pored over every morsel that Capcom has doled out and we're always ready for more. Well, today is no different. The Capcom Digital blog has uploaded more images of the upcoming game (in addition to confirming that Puzzle Fighter is coming next month). The new images detail the steps that go into recreating each original sprite in high definition. Illustrated in the image above, we can see each step. Starting on the left and moving to the right, artists first take the original sprite for reference, then block out the basic shapes in the darkest colors. Next, they add details and some shading. Finally, they add the final details and BAM! you've got an HD sprite. Check out the gallery below for high resolution images of all 4 steps.%Gallery-3974%
Soltrio Solitaire DLC flies under radar
New game content is available for the Xbox Live Arcade card game, Soltrio Solitaire. It adds 10 new game modes for the low price of 150 MS Points. Considering the game started out with 18 modes of play at 800 Microsoft Points, that's a pretty dang good price. Then again, you have to remember that it is Solitaire, which may not exactly be up your alley. Either way, the content is there and reasonably priced if you're interested.
Tycho: Retro games shouldn't be reviewed
Sure, this may only be the fourth of the current comic streak for Xbox 360 related strips from Penny Arcade, but it definitely brings up a valid point that deserves discussion. Retro titles from our "mispent youth", as Peter Moore so elegantly put it, are usually somewhere in the neighbourhood of 15 to 25 years old. Sure, they may get reskinned with some extra pixels per sprite, but the vast majority are the same game they were when they were on early consoles or in cabinets. Should they be treated the same by reviewers as retail games, or should the fact that these are pieces of gaming history give them a little grace? After all, if you don't like retro titles, haven't played the original game, or didn't enjoy the title, you could always not buy it.
X3F hands-on: Prince of Persia Classic
So, we spent a better part of this morning running through Prince of Persia for Xbox Live Arcade. To answer the most obvious question: yes, it is Prince of Persia. Feel free to draw as many conclusions from that as you wish. For many people, that alone should be enough information on which to base a purchase (or non-purchase). For the rest of you, read our impressions after the break.
Free Pac-Man Championship Edition from GTR
We were as surprised and delighted as anyone when we Pac-Man Championship Edition turned out to be such a great game. Whether or not it will go down in gaming history is up for debate. Whatever becomes of Pac-Man CE, right now it's simply a good game. "Sure, it's fun, but what about the price?" you say. Well, we've got you covered. Actually, Gamertag Radio has you covered but we won't be bothered by semantics. The point is that GTR is giving away five copies of Pac-Man CE absolutely free. Head on over for your chance to win. Oh, and did we mention this week's episode features Aaron "this will go down in video game history" Greenberg? Well, it does. Listen to Aaron speak his mind and win free Pac-Man CE. Not too shabby, eh?
Video: Band of Bugs map editor
Ninjabeegames uploaded a video to their YouTube account of the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade title, Band of Bugs. The video showcases the game's map editor, as well as some gameplay near the end. We think this is the first map editor to be included in an Xbox Live Arcade game. Overall it looks to be pretty solid, and will allow for some unique experiences when playing the game online. Do you think a map editor is a good idea, or should creativity be left to the developers? [Thanks, Tarl]
Prince of Persia leaps onto XBLA
Lest you haven't noticed, Prince of Persia Classic is now available on Xbox Live Arcade. Spruced up with new moves, new enemies, and speedier gameplay, the classic title is reborn for a new generation of gamers. Old school gamers have nothing to worry about though, it essentially the same game with a few minor tweaks. Even the one hour time limit is still in effect. Should you desire to pick up Prince of Persia Classic for yourself, it will set you back 800 MS Points.
USK rates Bungie's Marathon for 360
Last November, just prior to Halo's birthday, we (wildly) speculated that Marathon might be heading to Xbox Live Arcade. Obviously, we were incorrect ... then. It seems our precognitive powers were even more potent than we realized, as Marathon, Bungie classic and spiritual predecessor to Halo, has been rated by the USK (Germany's ratings board) for the Xbox 360. To be precise, the entry is for Marathon: Durandal, which is actually Marathon 2. This leaves us to wonder whether the original will make the jump as well. Already our minds are reeling with yet more speculation. Will Marathon: Durandal receive a graphical upgrade? Will we see each game in the series hit Xbox Live Arcade, leading up to the inevitable release of Halo 3? We have no idea, but we hope we'll be hearing more soon. [Via XBLArcade. Thanks, Ankalagon]
Bomberman Live in early July, 800 points
Bomber-fans rejoice, for we have discovered the price and (rough) release date for Bomberman Live on Xbox Live Arcade. Speaking to the Official Xbox Magazine podcast, Hudson's Joel Breton revealed that the game will release for 800 MS Points. This isn't exactly surprising, as it's becoming the de facto price for all original XBLA content. Breton also reveals that Hudson plans to release the title in early July. Jokes concerning Independence Day and blowing up your friends ensues. If you'd like to listen to the interview, it occurs at approximately 17:15 during episode 68 of the KOXM podcast.So, will you pick up Bomberman Live for 800 points?
Prince of Persia Classic hits XBLA this Wednesday
While Ubisoft may have spilled the beans in regards to Prince of Persia Classic's releasing this Wednesday, Microsoft has caught up and officially confirmed that announcement, as well as price point. The updated title, with its snazzy new mazes, traps and graphical enhancements, is going to run you 800 Microsoft Points. We suppose that could have been expected, but it still may turn a few off from the title. We'll have to wait and see if the demo pulls us in, nostalgic memories notwithstanding. What's your take on the game and price?
