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Take a look back at Engadget's favorite Nintendo 64 games
The Engadget staff shares some of their favorite memories of the console on its 25th birthday.
Xbox studio The Initiative is working on 'Perfect Dark'
It's a reimagining of the series.
Uncut beta version of Conker's Bad Fur Day touted in fan fundraiser
Conker's Bad Fur Day is one of the Nintendo 64's more infamous releases. Originally pitched as a family-friendly adventure in the vein of developer Rare's own Banjo-Kazooie, Conker's direction changed drastically during its development, resulting in an M-rated adventure featuring squirrel hangovers, frequent profanity, and opera-singing turd creatures. Conker tested the limits of Nintendo's publishing guidelines, and while much of the game's salty content made it to store shelves unscathed, some scenes were changed or removed prior to the game's completion. A fan-driven fundraiser seeks to release an uncut beta version of Conker's Bad Fur Day to the public as a downloadable ROM image. The debug footage above, captured by demo cartridge owner Borman, shows an uncut scene in which the Nazi-like Tediz are performing experimental surgery on a live squirrel soldier. Nintendo apparently decided that this little vignette pushed things too far, as the retail version of the cutscene plays out quite a bit differently. Additional differences between Borman's demo and the retail release have been noted, spurring fan demand for a ROM release. Along with the promised ETCS demo build, Borman will also release a second debug version of Conker, along with PAL and NTSC beta versions of Rare's Perfect Dark, once his $2,500 funding goal is met.
ITSP DLC sneaks onto XBLA next week, Shadow Complex also on sale
The Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet DLC "Shadow Hunters" was originally set to be released in September, but that didn't happen. It's just shown up on Major Nelson's latest "coming soon" list of XBLA content, scheduled for release on October 12. The schedule also includes some nice sales both this week and next. From today through October 10, you can get Catan, Magic the Gathering 2012, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, and Battleship for 50% off in the "Never Be Board Again" sale. Also half off is Bethesda "Games, Add-ons, and Avatars." Next week, the "Saints and Shadows" sale will knock 600 points off the price of Shadow Complex, with Perfect Dark available for half-off as well. Saints Row 2 will be 25% off, with its DLC available at half price. Combined with that ITSP content, that's rather a lot of shadow.
Rare's canceled 'Perfect Dark Core' revealed in concept art and video
After Perfect Dark Zero, Rare had Chris Seavor and the Conker team at work on another Perfect Dark, also for Xbox, called Perfect Dark Core. Unseen64 has found concept art, 3D renders, and even video of this cancelled game -- and the other cancelled game it metamorphosed into. In this "more realistic" Perfect Dark game, players controlled a male character who accompanied a "smoking, flirting" Joanna Dark on her mission. By late 2008, Core had been taken out of the Perfect Dark universe, and its team (cut down to three people) turned it into a mech FPS before the project was killed. It might not have been Perfect Dark, but it was probably really dark inside those mechs.
Top Xbox Live game launches of 2010
It's a curious way to organize data, but Microsoft's Major Nelson has posted the top Arcade and Indie games of 2010, based on "full versions purchased" during a game's first seven days of activity. Topping the Arcade list is Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, which definitely owns its place as Capcom's "most dynamic sales weapon" ever. Capcom's other Dead Rising 2 standalone tie-in, Case West, also did some faaaaa-ntastic numbers, taking the seventh spot. Limbo, which was one of our top games of 2010, took the second spot, while the Perfect Dark refresh can be spied in third. Super Meat Boy, prime at five on our best of 2010, hunkered down on this list at spot 17. In the Indie section, Baby Maker Extreme popped up in first place, followed by several games that have "Avatar" in the title. A game called Try Not To Fart also made it into the list. Check out the top 20 Arcade and Indie titles after the break.
Xbox Live subscribers can vote for upcoming Deal of the Week
Microsoft has put an interesting turn on its weekly rotation of discounted items on Xbox Live -- the Spotlight tab on the console's dashboard currently includes a poll which will let users choose which of a handful of items they'd like to have marked down for an undisclosed week in October. These discounts include 33 percent off DeathSpank, half off Perfect Dark, or similar markdowns on DLC for Dragon Age: Origins, Trials HD and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. It would be unethical for us to use our considerable internet power to get you to pick the thing that we'd like to pick up at a discounted price, so we'll refrain from doing so. Instead, we'll just have to rely on the same remote mind-control tactics we've been using to puppeteer your every action for the past four years now. That's right, Brandon, we're inside your mind.
XBLA sales stats for first half of 2010, as deduced from leaderboard data
Gamerbytes has compiled a list of several Xbox Live Arcade games and their performance in the first half of 2010 based on data derived from leaderboards. First, there are the top performers: Trials HD apparently had the biggest user base, jumping from 600,000 players to over a million during the first half of 2010 (not counting its DLC, which had almost 300,000 players over that period). But how about games that launched this year? Well, Perfect Dark enlisted 265,000, and Toy Soldiers and its DLC managed to recruit a combined 346,000 players. Risk: Factions and Snoopy Flying Ace have yet to reach 100,000. Other games didn't fare so well, with several failing to capture the attention of even 1,000 users -- Voodoo Dice, Ben 10 and Fret Nice were near or below that mark -- and of the 24 new games that Gamerbytes catalogued, only 13 managed to reach 10,000 players. Seeing how deals and promotions affected the growth of user bases on older titles is particularly interesting in the case of Zombie Apocalypse and TMNT: ReShelled, both of which came darn close to doubling their respective audiences when discounts were applied.
Crackdown 2 save unlocks Agent 4 in Perfect Dark multiplayer
We're now only days away from the release of Crackdown 2, and in a stroke of corporate synergy, Microsoft Game Studios has hatched a cross-game promotion between Ruffian's impending sandbox shooter and the recent HD remake of Perfect Dark for Xbox Live Arcade. With a Crackdown 2 save on your console, you can unlock a new playable character in Perfect Dark: Agent 4. No codes, no impossible speed runs -- Agent 4 is unlocked in Perfect Dark's Combat Simulator (multiplayer mode) as soon as your Crackdown 2 save is detected. Happy hunting, agents! %Gallery-96777%
Perfect Dark updated with new control options
Apparently, even Perfect Dark isn't perfect, as Rare and company have released an update for the XBLA port. Although the update includes a host of tweaks, the biggest change is the addition of several control options. Chief among these is the (blessed) option to lock the targeting reticle in the center of the screen. Southpaw and legacy control options have been added as well. Beyond that, there are some Achievement fixes and a few tweaks to help match the original N64 experience. The update has also been incorporated into the trial version, so those turned off by the initial control options are able to test out the new tweaks. Find a full list of changes after the break.
Toy Soldiers does big business in March
Gamasutra has the analysis of the March Xbox Live Arcade sales and (as you probably could have predicted even without a Farsight XR-20) the revamped FPS Perfect Dark did well with around 195,000 units sold. But the big surprise of the month has to be the tower-defense/action hybrid Toy Soldiers that, with little in the way of marketing, reached nearly 240,000 units by the end of the month-long Block Party. Sure, Toy Soldiers had two more weeks (its March 1 launch versus Perfect Dark's arrival on the 15th), but it's still a convincing testament to the power of word of mouth (word of Tweet?) advertising, especially in the download space.
Rare: There 'isn't a need' to go back to classic series
[Error Macro] If you're waiting for sequels to your favorite Rare games, like Battletoads, Killer Instinct, or Taboo: The Sixth Sense, you should probably shut down your vigil now. Studio head Mark Betteridge told Develop that the company isn't especially keen on returning to old franchises. Rare "would only go back to older franchises if we saw an opportunity to make the product in a different way that would do justice to [them]," said the head of the studio behind this month's Perfect Dark remake, adding that there "isn't a need" to return to Rare's classics. Betteridge goes on to classify the role of Rare and other first-parties as "to define the Xbox 360 platform," something he says Rare is also working to do for Project Natal. As for the camera-based control system, it's "the biggest change in how you interact with software... ever, really," he said, "because we've moved to a clean sheet of paper on the user input – it's a huge change creatively in how you build a game."
Perfect Dark, Alan Wake items now in Avatar Marketplace
Your virtual closet of Avatar wear just got some new styles, as Perfect Dark and Alan Wake gear is now available in the Avatar Marketplace. You can peruse the usual -- shirts, pants, helmets and outfits -- or if props is more your thing, there's a variety to choose from. "Elvis" you can see above, but there's also a flare, some pages of a manuscript or even an Alan Wake book. Like, a book that says Alan Wake on it that your Avatar looks at. Head into the Avatar Marketplace to see all of the new stuff. Source -- Perfect Dark Avatar gear on Xbox Live [Xbox.com] Source -- Alan Wake Avatar gear on Xbox Live [Xbox.com] [Via Destructoid]
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Perfect Dark
It's been a long time coming, and today Perfect Dark is finally available for download on XBLA. Sporting some new Xbox Live functionality and a sparkly new coat of paint, we'd be hard-pressed to come up with a better way to drop 800 ($10) on the Xbox Live Marketplace. The game is a classic and the closest you'll get to having GoldenEye on Xbox Live. Check it out in the latest episode of XBLA in Brief above! Shortcut: Download the trial version of Perfect Dark [via Xbox.com] [iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes. [Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly. [RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [MP4] Download the MP4 directly. %Gallery-70692%
Review: Perfect Dark (XBLA)
"Remastered" is the appropriate term for 4J Studios' Perfect Dark port, which takes Rare's classic console FPS and remodels it with high-resolution assets and tactful tweaks to better suit its new Xbox Live Arcade format. Perfect Dark is the third N64-generation Rare title that 4J Studios has remastered, following XBLA ports of Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie, and it's likely the most anticipated. Perfect Dark is a historical landmark, after all, and it's one that should be visited from time to time by anyone interested in games. Originally released in mid-2000, Perfect Dark arrived as I was staggering forth from my freshman year of college. I picked it up because, back in high school, we played GoldenEye until the sun came up. I never grew to worship Perfect Dark as I had Rare's acclaimed Bond shooter, but my memory recalls it as a "slightly superior" game (if not as personally beloved). As one of the more prominent entries on my "I woulda, coulda, shoulda played it more" list, I've been looking forward to this reunion -- a chance to get to know Perfect Dark better. %Gallery-70692%
This Wednesday: Perfect Dark KLOBBers XBLA
That's "This Wednesday," like, this Wednesday -- today. Sorry we waited so long to bring you this regular installment of "This Wednesday," it's just that we kind of figured this particular release would be a little hard to forget. But for those of you not paying attention, here it is: FPS classic Perfect Dark arrives on Xbox Live today for 800 ($10). If you're on the fence, check out our full review of the game. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to go buy some Surge and Tato Skins off eBay and hit Felicity for some King of the Bathroom. %Gallery-70692%
Xbox Live Marketplace release schedule for March
Though we already know the bulk of the March release schedule for new content on the Xbox Live Marketplace, Major Nelson's blog recently laid out how the rest of the month will play out. Tomorrow, we'll get our hands on Scrap Metal for 1200 ($15), next Wednesday will see the release of Perfect Dark for 800 ($10), and on March 24, we'll get our hands on the (somewhat) free Game Room hub. Oh, and the Games on Demand service got a bit crazier today with the release of Condemned: Criminal Origins for $19.99. If you're an insatiable value-hound, you should turn your attention to the upcoming Deals of the Weeks: The original Fable will have its price reduced to 800 ($10) from 1200 ($15) during the week of March 15. All of Fallout 3's add-on packs, including Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta, will be offered at half price (400, or $5) during the week of March 22. For the rest of the schedule, including Avatar outfits and add-on packs, check out the list after the jump.
Stay for the entire XBLA Block Party and receive parting gifts
Microsoft has announced more details about its Xbox Live Arcade "Block Party," which is ... right around the corner. Next month's lead-up to the launch of the Xbox Game Room will see a promotion similar to the one offered during last year's Summer of Arcade, and then some. For Xbox Live Silver members that purchase all three Block Party titles released next month -- Toy Soldiers, Perfect Dark and Scrap Metal -- and then download the free Game Room "client," Microsoft will credit your account 400 ($5). So, 3200 ($40) spent on the participating XBLA titles will get you back five bucks. If you're a Gold member, though, the deal gets a little sweeter: Purchase the three titles, download Game Room, and you'll get the 400 refund and a free month of Xbox Live Gold service (worth $4 and change if you're an annual subscriber) credited to your account. A free "everyone's a Gold member" (no, not that Goldmember) weekend is also scheduled, permitting Silver members to play the three Block Party releases online (but only the Block Party releases) from 12pm ET on Friday, March 26 through 12pm ET on Monday, March 29.
Perfect Dark XBLA will keep GoldenEye maps
While you probably won't be experiencing any classic GoldenEye action on Xbox Live Arcade anytime soon, it looks like Perfect Dark will let you do the next best thing! Yes, the real GoldenEye will likely never see the light of day on XBLA, but that doesn't mean its maps and weapons can't appear in Perfect Dark. According to Kotaku, Microsoft's Ken Lobb has confirmed at DICE that the unlockable GoldenEye weapons and maps featured in the N64 version of Perfect Dark will be included in the upcoming XBLA version as well. Of course, there really wasn't any reason to think they wouldn't be, but it's nice to hear all the same. So, if you've got the unlocking talent, you'll be mowing down your friends with a Klobb* in the Felicity, Temple and Complex maps in no time. *Yes, GoldenEye fanboys, or the RCP-90.
Xbox Live Arcade Block Party games, Game Room dated
March is going to be a pretty intense month for XBLA releases. So intense, in fact, that it's all being bundled under one promotional moniker: Block Party. Microsoft recently announced specific dates and prices for each of the games therein, and boy oh boy, has its saved the best for ... um, next-to-last. We already knew March 3 would see the release of Toy Soldiers for 1200 ($15). On March 10, we'll get our hands on Slick Entertainment's brutal racer, Scrap Metal, for 1200 ($15). On March 17, we'll be stocking up on supplies, boarding up the doors and windows, and enjoying Perfect Dark, available for 800 ($10). Things will come to a crescendo on March 24, when the Game Room hub will be released at no charge. The platform's games will run you 400 ($5) for a PC and 360-friendly version, 240 ($3) for just the 360 version, or 40 ($.50) for a single play.
