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Missile Command Launches onto XBLA
Today's Xbox Live Arcade release is Missile Command, the retro crap Atari shooter where you fire at ... oncoming missiles. With updated graphics, a new Throttle Monkey gameplay mode, and multiplayer over Xbox Live or locally, this nostalgic classic costs 400 Microsoft Points. Unfortunately, according to the read out at Major's blog, this game is currently unavailable in Japan or Korea, but everyone else is free to check out the trial and see if this oldschool goodness is up their alley.
Missile Command arrives this week on XBLA
Well kids, we knew it was coming. Yes, it was prophesied long ago that Atari's Missile Command would hit Xbox Live Arcade some day. That day is this Wednesday. This ain't your grandpa's Missile Command either. Nope, this Missile Command comes with fancy new 3D graphics and updated music. Sure, the primary goal is still to destroy incoming missiles, but now it's in kuh-razy 3D and it has achievements! The press release informs us that you destroy said missiles in order to defend planet Zardon (not to be confused with Zordon). The game features 2 person multiplayer locally or over Xbox Live and ... um ... well, that's about it. It's Missile Command. Take it or leave it (for 400 points).%Gallery-4486%
Assault Heroes finally patched ... almost
Let's say your game shipped with a horrendous multiplayer bug that prevented many people from connecting to online co-op sessions. Would you fix it? Would you fix it quickly? If you're part of Wanako and Sierra Online, and your game is Assault Heroes for Xbox Live Arcade, then your answer is clearly "no." Yes, Assault Heroes was added to the XBLA library last December and played host to a serious co-op problem, namely that co-op games could not be joined by many people. Now, seven months later, a title update for Assault Heroes has finally been released. There's only one problem: you can't download it. In a particularly delicious bit of irony, you are greeted with an error message the moment you accept the update prompt. Oy vey. Let's hope the Assault Heroes team gets their ducks in a row and fixes this problem soon.
More Sneaky Soltrio Solitaire DLC
Those sneaky solitaire solicitors! They're at it again. Yet another batch of downloadable content (DLC to the kids) for Soltrio Solitaire on XBLA has hit Xbox Live Marketplace. In fact, it came out yesterday, and we didn't even notice. That's how sneaky it was. The pack includes an entire 10 new solitaire modes, all for a measly 150 points. According to our friends at XBLArcade (the sleuths who uncovered this info), the PC version contains dozens of modes, so more DLC for Soltrio Solitaire is a distinct possibility for the future. We're sure that somebody, somewhere, is very excited about this.
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.
Encore! Encore! Mad Tracks expansion available
Racing onto the Marketplace is a new expansion pack for Mad Tracks ever so accurately named Encore. The Encore expansion pack will set you back 350 Microsoft points and includes nine additional races and six new mini games. So, the new expansion should give you nearly double the amount of content in Mad Tracks and may just be worth the extra bucks. Unless you're against Mad Tracks, downloadable content, or spending money ... then steer clear of this one.
Carcassonne tiles onto Arcade
As we announced on Monday, today's Xbox Live Arcade offering is Carcassonne. For 800 Microsoft Points you can get your hands on some castle building action. It's got 5 player live multiplayer and 4 player local MP, Live Vision camera support, and a nice range of balanced Achievements. It hopefully will bring a similar crowd as Catan did, allowing for a more laid back and social experience, so long as the camera support isn't abused. Hopefully we'll catch you online soon.
X3F hands-on: Band of Bugs
Xbox Live Arcade is finally starting to pick up steam and, as a result, more game genres are being represented. We've got fighters, beat 'em ups, puzzle games, arcade classics, board games, and many more. There hasn't been much in the way of turn-based strategy though. That is, there wasn't until Band of Bugs. Coming to us from NinjaBee, the same folks who brought us Cloning Clyde and Outpost Kaloki X, Band of Bugs takes the same lighthearted, humorous approach to turn-based strategy. Read on to find out how Band of Bugs fares.
Win Band of Bugs from Uncle Gamer
The kind and generous souls over at Uncle Gamer are at it again. This time, they're giving away a redemption code for Band of Bugs, the latest release from our friends at NinjaBee. We've been having a lot of fun with Band of Bugs so far, and that feeling will only be made better when you realize you didn't pay a dime for it, right? If you'd like your shot at some free, lighthearted strategy goodness, head over to Uncle Gamer and enter. They're accepting entries until Friday, so get cracking!
Penny Arcade questions Doritos Unlock Xbox contest
The guys at Penny Arcade seem a little perplexed as to the Unlock Xbox marketing campaign from Doritos. Apparently, putting together a videogame based on a tortilla chip is pushing the envelope for ridiculous ideas, intense experiences notwithstanding. While the idea of getting your Arcade title's concept published on Xbox Live Marketplace is definitely a cool one, the necessity to incorporate some Doritos branding into the gameplay does seem a little cheesy. Do you mind the product placement suggested for submissions to the contest, or do you think the opportunity is too good to complain about such details?
Bomberman Live explosive interview
DAKing240 over at Xbox 360 Achievements got to sit down with Peter Dassenko, Associate Producer at Hudson Entertainment about their upcoming Xbox Live Arcade release, Bomberman Live. The interview covers a lot of interesting points, like the development process for the game, and how they came up with some of the title's more interesting Achievements. It's a good read,and Peter has some uniquely clever ways of answering some of the questions. Check out the full interview by clicking the "Read" link.
Carcassonne building up to XBLA this Wednesday
Board game enthusiasts rejoice! Carcassonne is coming to town Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday. Not only does the game include the standard 72 tiles, but the "Rivers II" expansion with an additional 12 tiles. Feel free to brush up on the rules before Wednesday, but the game comes with a step-by-step tutorial that'll teach you the basics as well. The multiplayer on local allows 4 players and 5 players across Xbox Live, with support for the Vision Camera. At a price of 800 MS points, will you be picking this up Wednesday?
This Wednesday: Carcassonne taunts from the castle wall
First there was the island of Catan, now comes the countryside of Carcassonne. The game, which allows 1-4 players offline and 1-5 players across Xbox Live, has players placing 72 tiles to arrange roads, control pastures, surround monasteries and build castles. It also includes 12 tiles of the rivers expansion pack. Best of all, is that unlike the 30-40 minutes it takes to play Catan, reports have a Carcassone game lasting between 10 and 20 minutes. The game will cost 800 MS points ($10).So, will Carcassonne have the same community as Catan? We can hope. What we do know is that Sierra is supporting Carcassonne with future expansion packs like Inns & Cathedral and The Tower. It'll also be nice to play the game with people offline. Now we're looking forward to expansion packs to Catan and the arrival of Alhambra, which we haven't heard anything about since it was originally announced last year. Catan and Carcassonne are Euro gaming goodness and we don't even care about the irony of having a $400 system to play board games. When you grow up and your friends are scattered to the four corners of the planet, this is a way to bring everyone back together. Plus, being offline playable against friends (unlike Catan), means easy no fuss clean-up after a game in your living room/bedroom/game lair/castle.Update: GamerTalkHQ got a list of the game's achievements.%Gallery-4247%
Video: New Lumines Live! DLC on display
The next pack of downloadable content for Lumines Live! is being previewed over at GameTrailers and is also available in HD. It shows 5 or so seconds of each skin in what's being dubbed the "SOS Charity Campaign Pack". It will be released on June 27th, and will set you back 350 MS points, but at least you know that it's going towards a good cause. Would you be down with some more content for Lumines, or are you a little wary of Q Entertainment's take on micro-transactions?
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.
Doritos wants you to Unlock Xbox
You dream it. We build it. That's the slogan for the latest Doritos/Xbox contest called Unlock Xbox. The contest starts tomorrow and its overall goal is to get users to submit their video game ideas and create one of the coolest games evar! The catch is that your video game idea has to incorporate the Doritos brand in some way, so Nazi soldiers or dismemberments need not apply. Judges will choose the top five ideas which will be made into betas where people visiting the site will be able to download and critique the offerings. Then, a favorite will emerge and will win the right to be placed on the XBLA. Yes, you read the correctly. The winner will see their video game creation grace the XBLA as well as receive a great Xbox 360 gaming setup.Start getting your ideas together, whip up something cool, and eat a few bags of Doritos, because there's prizes to be won and fame to be had. Just think, you could be the lead designer of your very own XBLA game ... w00t!
