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Sonic the Hedgehog and Peggle come to iPod
Two new games are available on the iPod today, and they couldn't be any more opposite of each other. One is perfectly suited to the iPod's limited controls, and was practically built to be played with the circular click wheel. The other... well... not so much.The original Sonic the Hedgehog is now available for the iPod, featuring the full Sega Genesis classic, as well as the option to replace the game's seminal tunes with your own crappy music. We love Sonic and all, but the platforming precision required to play through this title will most likely not prove conducive to the iPod's click wheel and buttons. We expect much cramping and cursing.Contrast this with Peggle, Popcap's ever-so-excellent casual game offering, and the other game now playable on the iPod. Of the two, Peggle's much more suited to the format, and could easily become one of the best games available for the music player. Both titles are now available for purchase through the iTunes Music Store for $4.99 USD each, and are compatible with the 3G iPod Nano, the 5G iPod, and the iPod Classic.Read - Sonic press releaseRead - Peggle press release
Peggle gets free online version, but still no Mac love (for now)
Popcap Games have just announced a free, web-based version of their pachinko-inspired, unicorn imbued casual hit Peggle. Despite being played in a browser, the web version of Peggle still requires players to download an executable file and install a plugin before use, making the online game just as PC-exclusive as the (other) downloadable version.Still, that doesn't rule out all hope for the perpetually-deprived Mac gamers of the world. Some insider news reveals that Popcap is currently working on Mac versions of several of their PC-only titles, including Peggle. No word on whether these will be Universal Binary releases, or just Intel-only, but several are expected for release in the upcoming months. Until then, PC users can still enjoy both the full version of Peggle, and the new free online version, which features scoretracking and randomly-generated levels. Hooray for them.
PopCap talks casual game design, XBLA
A few years ago, if someone used the phrase "casual games," you probably would have imagined someone playing darts or shuffleboard in a newly smoke-free bar somewhere. Only recently, aided by Nintendo's DS and Wii juggernauts and download services like Xbox Live Arcade, have casual games become serious business. Everyone and their dog is stumbling over themselves to create casual games. EA, Eidos, Ubisoft: everyone is doing it. Of course, PopCap has been doing it for a while now. Gamesindustry.biz recently sat down to talk with Jason Kapalka, chief creative officer for PopCap games.Speaking to the success of casual games, Kapalka notes that PopCap enjoys nearly a 20% conversion rate on Xbox Live Arcade titles. That's 1 in 5 people who decide to buy a PopCap game -- Heavy Weapon, for example -- after playing the trial version. This is compared to less than 10% rates for the PC and mobile markets. So, yes, casual games can certainly mean big bucks for a smart company.
Heavy Weapon co-op is a blast
Okay, we just finished a Live co-op survival session on Heavy Weapon. In short, Heavy Weapon co-op is fluid, fast, and a hell of a lot of fun. This is great news considering the recent co-op woes of Assault Heroes. Like any survival game, it starts off slow enough, but soon it escalates to the point of sheer insanity. There are so many things happening on screen that it's impossible to keep track of them all. The air is filled with a solid cloud of bullets, missiles, lasers, aircraft, and general mayhem. And it's 'effing awesome. Some will no doubt deride Heavy Weapon for its simplicity, but we praise it for the same reason (and we dig its retro sensibilities). Oh, and if you like earning achievements, survival co-op offers plenty of them. You could easily earn six in one session. Surviving for twelve minutes is tough, but it's made much easier with three buddies (though to be fair we only made it just past thirteen on our first try). For those of you who have Heavy Weapon, give online co-op a try. It's sure to bring back plenty of arcade memories (hopefully memories without the creepy guy who played way too much Galaga).[Thanks to DaKing240 for the invite]
Heavy Weapon impressions: really explodey
digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/gaming_news/Heavy_Weapon_impressions_really_explodey_Xbox_Live_Arcade'; We played through the trial version of Heavy Weapon and so far, we're liking what we see. The trial version gives you access to a handful of levels and three of the game's six upgradeable weapons. The game is straight up action, beginning with the hair metal "Atomic Tank" theme song at the title screen. Live Arcade vets will be in comfortable territory: the left stick moves, the right stick shoots, and the right trigger sets off the all powerful nuke. Your tank rolls on the ground and basically shoots anything that moves, including both air and ground targets. Enemies have a range of different weapons which all require different tactics to destroy or evade. People familiar with Metal Slug should feel right at home.
Heavy Weapon drops a bomb on XBLA
Heavy Weapon, the side scrolling, blast-tastic shooter, is now available for download on Xbox Live Arcade. Another throwback arcade shooter, Heavy Weapon places a, ahem, heavy emphasis on shooting everything that moves. The XBLA version is enhanced over its PC counterpart (which you can try here) in that it allows for up to four players to play simultaneously and includes a new co-op mode. Everyone likes co-op. If you're stuck at work or otherwise indisposed, we've downloaded the game and will post our impressions later today. In the meantime, you can try out the stripped down web version for free. If you can, try out the XBLA version and tell us what you think.
Confirmed: Heavy Weapon nukes XBLA next week [update 1]
Update: Our buddy, Mike, from the Xbox Domain has confirmed this rumor. Heavy Weapon is scheduled to hit XBLA on January 17. Thanks, Tom, for sending this in.Coming from Xbox 360 Fanboy reader, DaKing240, is the rumor that Heavy Weapon will be hitting Xbox Live Arcade next week. Of course, our first thought is that Heavy Weapon is not, with very few exceptions, Worms. Still, Heavy Weapon is a great game, and we're sure it will only be made better by the inclusion of Live co-op. DaKing240 claims to have official confirmation of the title from the developer itself, so it seems like a safe bet. Not only that, but Heavy Weapon was supposed to come out during the holidays last year, so it makes sense that it would be ready to go now. If you haven't tried Heavy Weapon, we'd highly recommend you play the web version or grab the trial demo. And remember, before you complain about a high price tag on the XBLA version (we expect 800 points at least), rejoice in the fact that you won't have to pay the PC price: $19.95.
