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PopCap Games' games are headed to retail
Today, PopCap Games announced that they'll be bringing some of their Xbox Live Arcade hits to retail stores November 15th with the release of PopCap Arcade Volume 1. This first Arcade volume will include XBLA games Bejeweled 2, AstroPop, Feeding Frenzy and Zuma and retail for $29.95 on the 360, a savings of $10 if purchased separately via the XBLA.The move by PopCap to bring their XBLA games to retail is smart and almost a no-brainer especially for those who want to get a taste of the Arcade at a discounted price or for those who aren't connected to Live and want their Arcade fix. To be honest, we aren't sure why Microsoft has given up on their Unplugged series and maybe, just maybe, if PopCap makes a habit of releasing their Arcade games to retail it'll spur Microsoft into action. Good move PopCap, good move.
PopCap's Bejeweled free on iPhone
PopCap Games released a free web-based version of Bejeweled for Apple's iPhone, available via the Safari browser. Take note, this is not a downloadable game, thanks to Apple's insistence on web-based third party apps, so the game actually plays inside the phone's browser. GameDaily spoke with PopCap's Greg Canessa about the project and details of the web-based format here. We've seen what World of Warcraft looks like on the iPhone – and there are already a good deal of web-based iPhone games out there – but Bejeweled is arguably the first polished iPhone-"native" game out there. With the handheld's accelerometer and multi-touch display, we'd love to see what sort of games developers could develop using an actual SDK. Until then, we'll settle for web-based Bejeweled (which you can test out using Safari by going here).
PopCap gives Bejeweled away free for Mother's Day
For that cheapskate in all of us, PopCap has announced that they will be giving away free copies of their mega-hit Bejeweled Deluxe -- as a Mother's Day gift for your maternal caretaker, of course. Beginning tomorrow, May 9, and continuing through May 23, existing and new subscribers to their newsletter will receive a registration code via email for a full retail copy of Bejeweled Deluxe. The offer must be redeemed before May 30. If your mother already has Bejeweled or, on the other end of the spectrum, has never figured out how to use a mouse, then consider this a gift for yourself. For most countries, Mother's Day is coming up this Sunday (May 13), so if not this, you better of think of something to give.
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.
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.
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.]
Kong Demo and other goodies up on XBLM
Every time we hear about something new on the XBLM, it's like a small dose of Christmas. Just a little bit. Mostly when it's free stuff. Today, the Major announced a glut of new Marketplace content, including: a King Kong demo, Fight Night Round 3 picture packs and themes, new sounds and graphic packs for Crystal Quest, and Hexic and Bejeweled 2 theme packs. Wowza! As usual, the varied bonus packs are gonna cost ya, but the demo's what we're really interested in, right? If you haven't tried Kong yet, you're missing a really polished and elegant game, if a little short. If the easy 1000 gamerscore points hasn't lured you in already, maybe the demo will. See also: Joystiq Review: Peter Jackson's King Kong (Xbox 360)
