Miles Quaritch
Member
Not bad. Everyone buy Condemned. That's an order....
XBLA (Xbox Live Arcade) News, Announcements, Reviews, and Impressions Thread
- Thread starter Vert boil
- Start date
Not bad. Everyone buy Condemned. That's an order....
show me your skeleton
Member
what happened to assassin's creed 2 being free, or has that already been & gone?
John Caboose
Member
Ass Creed 2 and Halo 3 are the free games for July. Fable 3 is the first game. 2 new games coming every month until December IIRC. Also you need Gold to download them but you don't lose access when/if your Gold expires.
NotMyUsername
Member
Put more time into Live Arcade tonight...
Black Knight Sword - What a weird game. I can understand the complaints about how it plays but at the same time I wasn't overly bothered by it. I beat the first level and then ended up dying a good way into the second level. I hopped out to the menu from there and found out that it doesn't save your chapter progress when you get a game over so you have to beat it all on one set of lives. That's pretty rough but knowing how to play it now and having a better idea what to expect I imagine I could get much further than I did my first time. Besides, I lost a good bit of my health (and one whole life) in efforts to collect the cat head grass. Sort of clunky but I like the style.
CastleStorm - Started it up and went from start to end in one sitting (well, with a break to eat dinner). Once it opens up and you have full control of everything it really starts moving. I never once tried to win by capturing a flag aside from the level or two that requires it. The very last level is pretty rough but I got through it without doing any grinding. Barely lost at all and those were the later levels where you only control a hero. Those and the last level were really the only hard levels and the last level took me two or three attempts beating it in both campaigns so that really wasn't too bad. Required some strategy, that's all. I can only imagine how ridiculously powerful you must feel if you grind your way to upgrade everything, though. And I'm ashamed that nobody on my friends list is on the leaderboards on this game. What's the deal with that?
Probably finish up starting the other non-played Live games (I Am Alive, Pid, and something else I believe) and then probably buy Call of Juarez. I don't like beat-em-ups much at all but the Dungeons and Dragons games have me interested due to the light RPG elements and the challenge stuff Iron Galaxy adds to their Capcom releases.
And then there's the pile of Live Arcade games I started once to try out and really need to return to. Mark of the Ninja is the main one on my mind.
Black Knight Sword - What a weird game. I can understand the complaints about how it plays but at the same time I wasn't overly bothered by it. I beat the first level and then ended up dying a good way into the second level. I hopped out to the menu from there and found out that it doesn't save your chapter progress when you get a game over so you have to beat it all on one set of lives. That's pretty rough but knowing how to play it now and having a better idea what to expect I imagine I could get much further than I did my first time. Besides, I lost a good bit of my health (and one whole life) in efforts to collect the cat head grass. Sort of clunky but I like the style.
CastleStorm - Started it up and went from start to end in one sitting (well, with a break to eat dinner). Once it opens up and you have full control of everything it really starts moving. I never once tried to win by capturing a flag aside from the level or two that requires it. The very last level is pretty rough but I got through it without doing any grinding. Barely lost at all and those were the later levels where you only control a hero. Those and the last level were really the only hard levels and the last level took me two or three attempts beating it in both campaigns so that really wasn't too bad. Required some strategy, that's all. I can only imagine how ridiculously powerful you must feel if you grind your way to upgrade everything, though. And I'm ashamed that nobody on my friends list is on the leaderboards on this game. What's the deal with that?
Probably finish up starting the other non-played Live games (I Am Alive, Pid, and something else I believe) and then probably buy Call of Juarez. I don't like beat-em-ups much at all but the Dungeons and Dragons games have me interested due to the light RPG elements and the challenge stuff Iron Galaxy adds to their Capcom releases.
And then there's the pile of Live Arcade games I started once to try out and really need to return to. Mark of the Ninja is the main one on my mind.
SO MANY SONIC GAMES
Picking up Jet Set Radio, Sega Bass Fishing, The Cave and, ughhhh, Sonic Adventure 2.
Picking up Jet Set Radio, Sega Bass Fishing, The Cave and, ughhhh, Sonic Adventure 2.
I tried the demo and loved most of it, except for the fact that the demo focused pretty heavily on the ballista and the Angry Birds aspect of the game. Is that the main focus of the entire game, shooting your ballista at both enemies and the enemy castle? I really didn't enjoy that aspect and if that's what the whole game is...fuck it, waiting for a sale.
NotMyUsername
Member
The way I played it, for sure. Since I beat pretty much every level by destroying the castle, when possible, I focused a lot on leveling that stuff up and really didn't pay as much attention to the units. You can almost always win by capturing the flag but I have to say that any level where I wasn't destroying the other castle tended to be harder. That could be due to not leveling up the troop-based stuff up as much (both troops and magic) or simply because there's more to focus on in those missions. Due to how much you have to level up all the troop types and the passive room bonuses to make the ground-based fighting effective I'd bet it requires grinding to get past some levels if you were trying to ignore the ballista based stuff. There was one level where the bonus was to beat it without using the ballista and I found it impossible.
So yeah, I'd say using the ballista is the main gameplay while everything else is required at times but is much less important. The last half of the game I was typically spamming attacks on the castle while waiting for food to tick up and would then pop out my largest units and then go back to spamming attacks. It was really effective on most all levels though I'd have to mix it up occasionally and I also tried to get some of the mission bonuses so that'd require me to change my usual methods sometimes.
And honestly I almost never touched magic or spawned my hero unit. Some of the levels with very particular goals I'd use them but the majority of them I'd completely ignore them. But they're indispensable at the very end so they're worth being familiar with them.
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
Keyser Soze
Member
I fuckign hate Sonic, but will pick up some of them Sonic games!
show me your skeleton
Member
ah good, i thought i had missed asscreed. wonder what we'll get in august.
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
Hard Corps: Uprising is 50% off down to 600pts for this week: http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-GB/Product/Hard-Corps-Uprising/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258410a18
LorDjidane
Member
Ha, I was considering it. But it's not on sale on my marketplace. Too bad.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
UK only, from the Ultimate Game Thing, vert boil tucked it in his mega sale mega post
Vert boil
Member
New coming content,
June 19th, Dungeons and Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara - 1200msp
June 26th, Spartacus Legends - free
June 26th, Magic 2014 - 800msp
June 28th, Doodle Jump Kinect - 400msp
June 19th, Dungeons and Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara - 1200msp
June 26th, Spartacus Legends - free
June 26th, Magic 2014 - 800msp
June 28th, Doodle Jump Kinect - 400msp
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Oh great, Microsoft Studios sale next week *checks unbought demos*
BattleBlock Theater... nope
CastleStorm... nope
MotoCross Madness... nope
Scrap Metal... nope
*sigh*
BattleBlock Theater... nope
CastleStorm... nope
MotoCross Madness... nope
Scrap Metal... nope
*sigh*
God damn, this sale. Eight games I didn't have for 2640MSP is a sweet deal, especially since I didn't pay full price for the points.
Hope more people pick up Sine Mora and Spelunky!
Scrap Metal likely had its last sale ever late last year. You didn't miss anything. I can finally get Perfect Dark next week so I'm cool with that.
Hope more people pick up Sine Mora and Spelunky!
Dance Inferno
Unconfirmed Member
I have $95 in MS points that I want to get rid of before I get a PS4 and I have been waiting on a good Games on Demand sale but so far no luck. I want to pick up Halo 4 at the $20 range but that thing is still sitting at $40, which is a bit too steep for me. Maybe I'll pick up Perfect Dark next week to see what it's all about.
Or maybe I'll just wait for RE Revelations to join the GOD list and pick that up.
Or maybe I'll just wait for RE Revelations to join the GOD list and pick that up.
Heart Attack
Member
Finally getting Sonic 4 Episode 2. Also will buy Nights since it was fixed with the TU.
Apparently, it'll be 160 MSP on sale (according to Vert Boil's updating post). What a stupidly cheap price, lol.
toythatkills
Member
Vert, small request, but when you post links can you do so with the "/en-US" part deleted? That way when someone clicks it, it'll default to their own country's marketplace.
As ever with this, if you're planning to buy it, play the trial first and upgrade at the upsell screen at the end of the trial. You get bonus moneys for doing that.
As ever with this, if you're planning to buy it, play the trial first and upgrade at the upsell screen at the end of the trial. You get bonus moneys for doing that.
Vert boil
Member
Released today,
Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara - 1200msp, 254MB.
(Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara)
Also,
Joe Danger 2: The Movie
--Nasty Championship Pack - 400msp
----------
And Guardian Heroes finally dropped over night.
TTK, but that would spoil the fun. :3
Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara - 1200msp, 254MB.
(Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara)
Also,
Joe Danger 2: The Movie
--Nasty Championship Pack - 400msp
----------
And Guardian Heroes finally dropped over night.
TTK, but that would spoil the fun. :3
) D&D: Chronicles of Mystara: GGPO Netcode, quality bonus features, and starring a license that I'm sure cost them some extra money to secure. I'm beyond glad to finally have these games available to play legitimately!
The games longevity shouldn't be tied to the achievements anywho, but what the actual games offer. Tower of Doom offers branching paths. Mystara offers that, in addition to multiple endings per character, and characters that play, and can be played differently. Even the "press start" alt looks for the characters can come with unique equip / spell load outs.
Gotta love the unlockables for the Vault too. Too many classic releases miss the extra touch of honoring the art and history of these classics. While these are purely cosmetic, they're not the kind of things you get in many quick & dirty ports.
Then you have the unlockable "House Rules" settings, which also do a great job at mutating the game to play differently. Basically a "make your own bonus mode" setting list, allowing you to change the game into time attack, survival, or a variety of other modes. A nice way to bring something fresh to games that otherwise aren't going to get additional characters/stages/etc. It's a pretty solid way to add replay value, and I really wish more modern games would offer an extra so well thought-out.
Much like M2's classic releases, this one is several cuts above the "cash-in" ports we saw earlier in this generation. And it's of 2 games many would think out of reach forever, neither of which have ever seen a non-Japanese console release.
Oh, and I suggest that people actually read the "How to Play" and title-screen info ticker, too, especially with Mystara. There's a LOT of obscure, hard-to-pick-up-on details that could fly right over ones head, even after playing. I love how the Thief actually has steal and Back-attack abilities, and the fact that the Dwarf can actually salvage additional money from breaking down treasure chest.
I always love how old Arcade ports (especially of fantastic games) always feel like I instantly get my money's worth. Especially compared to the quarters I'd have spend clearing them in arcades, even before .50 / .75+ cent per play. I'm blessed with a local Co-Op partner as well, so I've been able to finally get SO many classic this gen, probably for collectively less than I spend on them across 1 summer between multiple arcades...
I guess games like this might be an acquired taste, but if one has such taste, boy do they hit the spot. I ran through the 1 stage of the Mystara demo SO MANY TIMES last night, trying to get used to some of the advanced strategies and tactics, per-character, that playing Tower of Doom in arcades gave me absolutely no clue towards. Such a great year for Beat 'em-Ups!
The games longevity shouldn't be tied to the achievements anywho, but what the actual games offer. Tower of Doom offers branching paths. Mystara offers that, in addition to multiple endings per character, and characters that play, and can be played differently. Even the "press start" alt looks for the characters can come with unique equip / spell load outs.
Gotta love the unlockables for the Vault too. Too many classic releases miss the extra touch of honoring the art and history of these classics. While these are purely cosmetic, they're not the kind of things you get in many quick & dirty ports.
Then you have the unlockable "House Rules" settings, which also do a great job at mutating the game to play differently. Basically a "make your own bonus mode" setting list, allowing you to change the game into time attack, survival, or a variety of other modes. A nice way to bring something fresh to games that otherwise aren't going to get additional characters/stages/etc. It's a pretty solid way to add replay value, and I really wish more modern games would offer an extra so well thought-out.
Much like M2's classic releases, this one is several cuts above the "cash-in" ports we saw earlier in this generation. And it's of 2 games many would think out of reach forever, neither of which have ever seen a non-Japanese console release.
Oh, and I suggest that people actually read the "How to Play" and title-screen info ticker, too, especially with Mystara. There's a LOT of obscure, hard-to-pick-up-on details that could fly right over ones head, even after playing. I love how the Thief actually has steal and Back-attack abilities, and the fact that the Dwarf can actually salvage additional money from breaking down treasure chest.
I always love how old Arcade ports (especially of fantastic games) always feel like I instantly get my money's worth. Especially compared to the quarters I'd have spend clearing them in arcades, even before .50 / .75+ cent per play. I'm blessed with a local Co-Op partner as well, so I've been able to finally get SO many classic this gen, probably for collectively less than I spend on them across 1 summer between multiple arcades...
I guess games like this might be an acquired taste, but if one has such taste, boy do they hit the spot. I ran through the 1 stage of the Mystara demo SO MANY TIMES last night, trying to get used to some of the advanced strategies and tactics, per-character, that playing Tower of Doom in arcades gave me absolutely no clue towards. Such a great year for Beat 'em-Ups!
Miles Quaritch
Member
Hmm, might be time to finally buy Splenky and Fire Pro Wrestling.
Vert boil
Member
I had a look earlier and there was nothing on any of the tracking sites.
I said buy Sine Mora! Shut up and do it!
Fire Pro has busted achievements that will never be fixed, if you care about that sort of thing.
Yeah, but we all know that you're not exactly impartial when it comes to beat 'em ups. For people who aren't nutjobs for the genre, 1200MSP is not a steal for old ass games with few interesting features. I can accept it for fighting games, like they've done before, as that genre is infinitely popular and always replayable due to online play. This game's online is going to be dead next week, if it even lasts that long.SAB CA said:
Miles Quaritch
Member
Yes sir! I've actually been meaning to buy it for some time, so this sale is perfect timing.
Hmm, maybe I'll buy TS:Cold War instead. Or maybe Bloodforge - any good?
the last grindchore avatar award never unlocked for me either... dunno if anyone stuck with the game long enough to find it out apart from me, but meh- what ya gonna do? (brother)
I just saw that the servers for WWE All Stars were shut down too, so the last achievement for that is lost to me forever as well
Is there a list of quality recent and upcoming XBLA exclusives (essentially anything that doesn't seem likely to come out on PC)? I just realize I have far more points than I expected, but my 360 hasn't been hooked up for almost a year. I was only keeping it for Charlie Murder. lol
Bloodforge is kinda bad. Not terrible, but the camera is pretty much the worst ever (even if you try to control it yourself). It's absurdly masculine and violent, though, so that's always a plus.
Cold War is both better and worse than the first game. More features and toys to mess around with, but they lowered the difficulty to the point where a blind baby can beat it. It just feels less satisfying in the long run.
I'll be right there with you, brother. There will be much trash talk about spreading cheeks and ramming cock in fucking ass.jergrah said:
They better not be charging money for Gannicus though. Who am I kidding? Of course they will, and I'll be dumb enough to buy him...
My friend sent this text to me, almost word for word, just a few days ago
These are obviously pretty replayable too (some of the most replayable in the genre), or we wouldn't be talking about them now!
For people who don't know / don't pay much attention to the genre, I find it much more worthwhile to talk about what makes the game itself great, and worth the value, rather than just to fall in line with the "lol, old and cost money!" mentality. I'm not a hardcore STG fan myself, but I've learned to appreciate the genre, and the creators of the games, much more when viewing them through the eyes of genre fans. Rather than the views of those who half-care about the games. The quality of opinions, and appreciation of content is like night and day.
Miles Quaritch
Member
Both sound like a waste of points. Ah well, will just get Sine Mora and Spelunky. Thanks for the tips.
Emperor Bohe
Member
stay away from buying the genesis Sonic games on XBLA, terrible emulation. I just bought all of them on a whim since they're like 2 dollars each, and the sound emulation is really off.. if you don't care about 100% sound emulation then pick it up anyways, the gameplay seems fine as far as I can tell.
LorDjidane
Member
Is there a way to list all xbla games/GoDs by price somewhere on the market?
toythatkills
Member
No. You can do it on Wikipedia though, for XBLA
LQX
Member
I really want to buy State of Decay but I this game looks horrific on my TV for some reason. I can usually look past bad graphics but holy crap. It looks worse than games 2-3 years older. Just weird.
Holy crap I wish you could gift XBLA games. I would buy a dozen at that price to give away. Guardian Heroes is fucking awesome.