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XBLA hosts Catan, infested by Centipedes
We're at a loss for words. Xbox Live Arcade has set an unprecedented streak. For weeks upon weeks, we have had no gaps in our gaming goodness. Furthermore, we have even received multiple games during the same week. Now this week we'll be getting both Catan and the Centipede/Millipede combo. We only have one question: what the hell are we supposed to complain about? Xbox Live Arcade was our go-to source for dissatisfaction and now it seems to be humming along ... smoothly. Catan can be had for 800 points, while Centipede and Millipede will set you back a mere 400.Sigh ... it's just not fair.
XBLA goes Puzzle Questing
Perhaps you've heard of Puzzle Quest. The game has caused quite a stir among DS fanboys the world over. If you're not up to speed on the game, suffice it to say that it is a hybrid puzzle game/RPG. No, that's not a joke. It's an RPG in which combat is decided by rounds of Bejeweled. Strange as it sounds, the game has managed to round up some impressive review scores. What does all of this have to do with the Xbox 360 you ask? Simple, D3 Publisher, publisher of Puzzle Quest, is bringing the title to Xbox Live Arcade. They're also behind Mad Tracks and RocketBowl (take that, Wii Sports!). While no official details about the game have been revealed, we can only assume that Puzzle Quest will feature online versus play.Expect to start seeing D3Publisher games on Xbox Live Arcade this year.[Via Joystiq]
More Alien Hominid HD levels available
Yeah, yeah, we know we're late on this, but die-hard Alien Hominid fans should know that there are now even more PDA levels available for download in Alien Hominid HD. The content is called the "PDA Euro pack" and contains 100 new PDA levels that have never been seen inside the US. So, if you live in Europe then there really isn't all that much to get excited about. Of course, there is a brand new episode of the Xbox 360 Fancast available. That's sort of exciting, right? No? Oh, alright then.
2.5er in XBLA this week; Catan, Centipede & Millipede
For the last two weeks in a row, Microsoft has put out two Xbox Live Arcade titles each Wednesday. This week, however, they're changing it up by giving is three titles! Well, two and a half, really, but still, it's pretty badass. We got some retro love with Centipede and its sequel Millipede, packed together for 400 Microsoft Points, complete with "Evolved" versions of both. On the newer side of things, Catan, for 800 MS points, will also be available. We know a lot of readers have been looking forward to Catan coming Arcade, and now the wait is almost over, with two more sleeps to go. So, which off these three two are you going to play Wednesday?
And now, the 6 Pac-Man contest winners...
After giving a single copy of Pac-Man away yesterday, today we have 6 lucky winners from the 309 commenters. The winning numbers, provided by Random.org, are: 253, 171, 166, 246, 32, 121. Which means that NYBOY07, Nukie, Jared Brown, DjDATZ, Riley420 and Justin A should expect an email sent to them with their redeem code for Pac-Man on Monday. Congrats to the winners and thanks to everyone for participating. Keep your eyes on X3F for future contests and giveaways. Thanks to Uncle Gamer and Gamerscoreblog for supplying us the six codes.
X3F has more Pac-Man to give away
Update: This contest is now over. For a list of winners, click here.Were your hopes dashed earlier today when we revealed the winner of yesterday's Pac-Man giveaway? Were your spirits crushed? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then we have a nice fat ray of sunshine for you! We've scored 6 additional copies of Pac-Man to give away and we're not wasting any time. The rules are the same as yesterday. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Tomorrow, we'll select 6 winners at random. We'd like to thank Gamerscore Blog and Uncle Gamer for hooking us up with these fresh download codes. Also, if you're still not happy with the improved odds that 6 copies bring to the table, you can hit up Xbox MVP, Mordeux, who has three copies to give away. There's so much free Pac-Man floating around, it's insane.What are you waiting for? Get commenting!General contest stuff: Only one entry per person. Winners will be chosen at random using a number generator at Random.org. Winners will be contacted via email with individual download codes.
And the X3F Pac-Man winner is ...
Alright, folks, all the entries are in for yesterday's Pac-Man giveaway and it's time to select a winner. As promised, we have chosen the winner at random and that winner is (drum roll, please) doggity! Doggity wins the contest with his incredibly applicable comment, "I love free stuff!" Congratulations doggity, your download code for Pac-Man is on the way. If you didn't win the contest -- and there were a lot of you -- don't fret. It looks like the folks at Gamerscore Blog and Uncle Gamer heeded our call for more free stuff, and we have secured 6 more copies of Pac-Man to give away. We'll host another giveaway later today, so stay tuned!
Because we love you, free Pac-Man from X3F
We enjoy nothing more than giving away free stuff. Well, we might enjoy late night walks on the beach just a little bit more, but that's beside the point. The point is this, Godfree over at Gamertag Radio was nice enough to hook us up with a free download of Pac-Man for Xbox Live Arcade. In celebration of the upcoming Pac-Man World Championship, we're giving it away to one lucky commenter. Yeah, we know. It's a retro game and we only have one copy, but it's free! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Tomorrow, we'll pick a comment at random and email the download code to the author. Couldn't be simpler. If the odds of winning our single copy frighten you, don't forget that The Xbox Domain is giving away 5 copies. Good luck.General contest stuff: Only one entry per person. Winner will be chosen at random using a number generator at Random.org. Winner will be contacted via email with the download code.
Bizarre's Boom Boom Rocket firework blow out
Bizarre Creation's latest Studio Update goes into the mechanics of Boom Boom Rocket's fireworks. While it has no effect on the gameplay, it's cool to see the amount of detail that went into creating the different types of standard fireworks. On top of that, the details on what purpose they have in the musical timing, and when they are most frequently seen is also cool. Beyond the description for the types of fireworks, Bizarre also shed some light on the size of the title (around 73 MB), the level of detail in the city, and even a few of the easter eggs found in the environment. If you want to get the full skinny, click the "Read" link.
XBLA mystery: Eets is missing! [update 1]
Today was poised to be another double header for Xbox Live Arcade. There's only one problem you see: you can't have a double header without two games. Upon booting up the trusty Xbox this morning, Eets was nowhere to be seen. Pinball FX was there (and it's pretty decent, by the way), but Eets: Chowdown was a no show. According to comments on MajorNelson.com, the game was briefly available but failed to launch once downloaded. It looks like the game was pulled as a result. It's unfortunate because we were particularly looking forward to Eets. Now all we have is pinball. 360 fanboys am cry. We've asked for an official explanation from Microsoft, and we'll spread the word when we get a response.Update 1: It looks like Eets is back up and ready to download (or re-download). Commence chowdown ... now!
Catan gets a release month (it's May!)
Board game lovers rejoice! Catan has received a new release month! Even better, that month is in fact next month. Yes, Catan is now scheduled to drop onto Xbox Live Arcade in May. The official Catan web page has been updated with the new month as well as a breakdown of the features and achievements for the game. The website also contains wallpapers, buddy icons, and even MP3 downloads of the game's soundtrack. Eager Catan fans should definitely check it out. While we would love an official release date, we take comfort in the fact that Catan is a maximum of 38 days away.[Via Joystiq]
Undertow: underwater Battlefield in 2D
When thinking up Xbox Live Arcade games, an underwater, two-dimensional game of Battlefield isn't on the top of the list. No, mostly we think of retro titles and simple action affairs. However, if Chair Entertainment has anything to say about it, Undertow could change that. IGN got a chance to preview the game and came away impressed. Set in a future where the earth is entirely underwater, Undertow plays much like Geometry Wars. The left stick controls movement and the right stick fires and aims weapons. Undertow is more than an arcade style shooter, though. It adds a team-based dynamic into the mix, requiring teams to capture bases. Bases are captured much as they are in Battlefield. Players must hover near them for a certain amount of time. The first team to capture all bases (or force the opposing team to drain their reserves) wins. The game has three factions from which to choose: the Atlantians (merpeople), Nemodians (think 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) and the Iron Marines (the normal human faction). There are several classes, ranging from light and nimble to slow and powerful. Coupled with nice graphics, interesting map design, a single-player campaign, and 16-player online multiplayer, Undertow could be making quite a splash when it releases (sorry, we couldn't resist).
Super SFII Turbo HD: what big sprites you have!
It was recently announced by Capcom that they would be releasing a new version of Street Fighter II on Xbox Live arcade. Not only is Capcom bringing Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix to XBLA, but it is also giving the entire game an HD makeover (hence the "HD Remix" in the title). Racket Boy has gone into great detail analyzing a slide that came from the Capcom press conference discussing the game. In the image above you can see several iterations of Street Fighter sprites. On the left is the original Ryu sprite from SFII. Next to that is a sprite from Guilty Gear, the current standard bearer for high resolution 2D fighters. Next to that is a Ryu sprite from Street Fighter III, the highest resolution entry in the series. Now, you've seen what was, so what is Capcom doing for the remake?
Carcassonne coming in June
Sierra Online announced that Carcassonne will be hitting Xbox live Arcade this coming June. The last we heard from the title it was being announced back in August alongside Catan and Alhambra. There are no specifics as to when in June, but one could surmise that the release will fall on either the 6th, 13th, 20th, or 27th. How can we be so sure? Well, they're Wednesdays, for starters. If you want us to narrow our prediction down, we're going to stick with the 13th, as the number is lucky. Are you down for some tiling city action on Live Arcade?[Via QJ.net]
XBLA Pac-Man world championship next week!
Fancy yourself to be pretty good at Pac-Man? Are you really good, like "best in the world" good? Microsoft and Namco Bandai have announced the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship. The initial tournament period will begin on April 25th and last through May 9th. On April 25th the Xbox Live Arcade leaderboards for Pac-Man will be reset and registered gamers will compete for high score. The 9 highest scoring players from around the world will be flown to New York City on June 5th for the final round. Additionally, Pac-Man fans in the US and Canada can compete in the Pac-Man FANatic contest, in which participants will create videos demonstrating why they are the biggest Pac-Man fans around. The winner of the FANatic contest will also be flown to New York as a wildcard entrant (where we imagine he will be instantly eliminated by much more skilled players). We're hoping along with Joystiq that some of the best video entries will wind up on Marketplace.The winner of this grand finale will be crowned by the creator of Pac-Man himself, Toru Iwatani.More details and a few caveats after the break.
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
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]
Vigilante 8 crashing into XBLA this summer?
It seems like leaking Xbox Live Arcade titles is the thing to do these days. A level designer and environmental artist working for Isopod Games has let it slip that Vigilante 8 is headed to Xbox Live Arcade. The original title, released way back in 1998 for the PS1 and N64, is a car combat game similar to Twisted Metal. It received decent reviews back in the day, so it would be a welcome sight on XBLA. The level designer in question, Dan Savage, lists the game in his portfolio and his resume, noting that it should arrive this summer. After a quick search we also found two more resumes from artists claiming to have worked on the title. It can't get much more confirmed that that.Car combat with online multiplayer? Yes, please. Hey, it's got to be better than Novadrome, right?[Thanks, TheDragon]
Electronic Arts opens Live Arcade website
With Boom Boom Rocket available now and Wing Commander Arena on the way, EA has thrown its proverbial hat into the Xbox Live Arcade ring. It looks like EA is planning to be in for the long haul, as the company has launched an official site dedicated to Xbox Live Arcade projects. Right now, the only games spotlighted are Boom Boom Rocket and Wing Commander Arena, though there are two vacant spots left. So, expect at least two more titles from EA to land on the Arcade. The site also hosts forums and allows users to sign up for email spam updates. Each game also has its own mini-site with requisite videos and (surprisingly low res) screenshots. Hit the "read" link to check it out.Is anyone out there enjoying Boom Boom Rocket so far?
