Official Xbox Live Arcade Thread

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My years-long indifference to the Sudoku phenomenon was finally shaken last week when I accidentally got addicted to the demo of Buku Sudoku. Of course, I'm far too cheap to actually buy the full game. My rationalization is, why pay 800 spacebucks for digital versions of puzzles I can find for free practically anywhere or, for that matter, make myself?

legend166: Rez HD and Geometry Wars for sure. You may want to hold off on purchasing the latter until you can survive past the demo's time limit, though. (I still can't. :lol)
 
Anyone who doesn't buy Puzzle Quest for 800 points is a mook. It was a steal at 1200.

And as I said, Flock looks cool so far (from some guys who worked on Donkey Kong Country and Lemmings back in the day).
 
Golf: Tee it Up is really fun. Can't figure out why someone would not like the game.

If you were a fan of Mario Golf this goes above and beyond that. Only issue is the lack of courses but I assume those will be DLC later.

For HouseMarque it was a really good idea for them to make a game like this on Live. There isn't a Golf game like it on the machine, it has extendability, and it probably wasn't too hard of a game to make.
 
Thank you Rlan for taking care of all of this while I was away.

1942: Joint Strike Achievements

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/game/1942-joint-strike/achievements/

There are 12 achievements with a total of 200 points.



Lightning Rod 6
Complete the game with the Lightning.

Mosquito Wing 7
Complete the game with the Mosquito.

Shinden Striker 7
Complete the game with the Shinden.

Wingman 15
Complete 3 levels of the game while playing Co-Op.

Concerted Combat 10
Destroy 30 enemies using a Joint Strike.

Sharpshooter 10
Get a 90% or better accuracy rating.

Blitz 10
Complete the game on the Wing King difficulty setting.

Fangs Out 10
Defeat all of the bosses with an A rating in one play-through.

Padlocked 25
Defeat all of the bosses with an S rating in one play-through.

Tiger 30
Collect 30 medals.

Shooter 30
Complete the game with over 200,000 points.

Combat Ace 40
Complete the game with over 2,000,000 points.
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Thank you one and all, also, the name is Shard, not Share, though I could how I might be dubbed that.

New Castle Crashers Updates:

Killer Beekeeper

CharactersKiller Beekeeper
July 7th, 2008

What makes this keeper of bees killer you ask ? Take a look at his action shots below.
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killerbeekeeper.jpg


beekeeper_actionshots.jpg


beekeeper_actionshots.jpg


Beefy Mode w/Video
http://devblog.thebehemoth.com/?p=245

MediaBeefy Mode

Edit: Sorry I broke comments yesterday, all is back to normal now, comment away!

Hello. I wanted to show everyone our Beefy Mode in Castle Crashers, and instead of showing you a screenshot of it in action I figured a very short gameplay video was long overdue. Before we get to that here’s a little diagram that Dan put together to help further explain it. (sort of)
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pbjokay.jpg


Castle Crashers: Beefy Mode Video

http://www.vimeo.com/user397300?pg=embed&sec=1318033
 
Even though im a new user i have been reading your XBLA updates daily Shard! Welcome back. Hope to see many more.

There has to be something else next week besides Coffeetime Crosswords. Duke Nukem 3D or Castle crashers im guessing.
 
Warm Machine said:
Golf: Tee it Up is really fun. Can't figure out why someone would not like the game.
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Quick list:

Models look like troll dolls
Perfectly round greens
Shitty physics and controls
Overall poor art design
Balls that roll forever...through rough.
Tacked on, crappy, bullet-time spin mod in the air.

Frankly, I don't se how anyone who's played a decent golf game on this standard (ie: Hot Shots) could be anything but repulsed by this game.
 
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix Updates: Hands-On Preview and New Release Date

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/887/887326p1.html

Pre-E3 2008: Galactrix Hands-On
We take the next Puzzle Quest for a spin.
by Daemon Hatfield

July 9, 2008 - Everyone loves Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords and everyone's been anxious to see what its successor has in store. D3 Publisher brought Galactrix by the IGN office and it's looking even bigger and more complex than the original. Despite the extra layers of depth being added, D3 thinks it will have more appeal to casual gamers than Challenge of the Warlords. This is because the many features are better explained, as opposed to the first game where the player had to discover things on their own.

Galactrix is a sci-fi adventure set 20,000 years in the future as mankind finds itself on the brink of extinction, once again. While one of Puzzle Quest's designers at Infinite Interactive wrote the dialogue for the first game, this time around they've hired a professional writer. Infinite is located in Australia, and apparently the dialogue in Galactrix is filled with Australian colloquialisms that D3 liked so much they're leaving in for other territories. Your primary avatar will be your spaceship. Although you are a pilot, your ship takes center stage. Both ship and pilot will be upgraded along the way. As your pilot advances in levels, he can obtain better ships. Eventually, you'll have a stable of ships, allowing you to customize them in different ways and approach conflicts with different strategies. During your adventures you'll gather a crew made up of humans, robots and aliens.



Instead of the Bejewelled battles from Challenge of the Warlords (and the Othello battles of the Puzzle Quest spin-off Neopets), the puzzle aspect of Galactrix isn't based on an established game. At first glance it looks like Hexic, and it is another match-three game, but it operates as though it were in zero gravity. Pieces refresh in the direction of your move -- slide a tile up, and new pieces appear from the bottom of the screen. Once you get a feel for it, you should be able to control the flow of battle and keep your opponent from getting the matches they need.

Although the tiles are hexagons, a match can only be made in a straight line. Whereas a match-four previously gave us an extra turn, now we have to match at least five to go again. Also, there is now no penalty for making a wrong move, other than losing your turn.

Each color of tile provides different benefits. Your ship has shields that must be broken down before you'll take damage. Blue tiles will refill your shields. Reds improve your weapons, yellows raise your energy, and greens upgrade your computer. Your pools of these tiles can be used to perform upgrades, which act as the game's spells. White tiles provide intel, which provides your pilot with experience. There are mines on the battlefield that can be lined up to attack the opponent. A number on the face of each mine represents the amount of damage it will cause.

And now I will puzzle you until you die from it!
Instead of one overworld, there is now an enormous star map made up of dozens of solar systems. Each solar system is its own overworld, taking up the entire screen. These areas are presented in a very clean, minimalist style, with heavenly bodies and vessels drawn as wire frames. There are several jump gates in each system that will take you to different sections of the star map, but before you can use these gates you'll have to complete a mini-game. The universe of Galactrix is enormous.

Each solar system is governed by factions with their own systems of government. As long as you're in their good graces, the NPC ships flying around will be green and won't attack you, but you can still engage them if you choose. If a faction isn't happy with you, these ships will turn red and you'll encounter a lot of random battles. When a quest is available, a radar signal will be emitted from a planet or space station. Landing there will trigger a dialogue with an NPC who will give you instructions.

Galactrix will feature the same multiplayer modes as Challenge of the Warlords. That means the Xbox 360 and PC versions will be playable online, and the DS will include local multiplayer. DS players will be getting all the same content, with some cosmetic tweaks to the graphics and interface. Conversations are split between the two screens, for instance. But just like the original, DS owners aren't missing out on any gameplay.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is set for a Q1 2009 release.
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First Video

http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/899/899340/vids_1.html

New Screenshots

http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/899/899340/imgs_1.html
 
Fable 2 Pub Games Update

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/0...games-free-with-pre-order-and-a-limited-edit/

Moments ago, Microsoft announced specifics regarding the Fable 2 mini-games that were announced back during GDC that will allow gamers to earn gold for use in Fable 2 prior to the game's release. And you'll be pleased to know you can play the mini-games without spending any Microsoft points.

The Fable 2 "Pub Games" will release later this year (release date still pending) in August and will include three mini-games where players can earn gold for use in Fable 2. The three games include a craps / roulette type game called "Keystone", a slot machine game called "Spinnerbox", the press your luck style game called "Fortune's Tower" and a tutorial for all three games called "Shell". The best news is that all three Pub Games will be available for FREE with a Fable 2 pre-order. The games will also be embedded on the retail disc. Otherwise, you' have to option to purchase the pack off the XBLA for 800 Microsoft points when they release.

Microsoft also announced a Fable 2 limited collector's edition that'll retail for $79.99 and include a behind-the-scenes bonus disc, collectible Hobbe figure (w00t!), a LIVE trial card and other additional in-game content. Of course, the collector's edition will also include the Pub Games on disc.
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New Fable 2 Pub Games Screenshots

keystone_02.jpg


fortunes_tower_01.jpg


spinnerbox_07.jpg
 
Shotest Shogi passes cert and Basement Pool delayed

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/07/06/shotest-shogi-passes-cert-basment-pool-delayed/

Shotest Shogi passes cert; Basement Pool delayed


When Shotest Shogi and Basement Pool were originally announced, we were a bit harsh on the latter and quite welcoming to the former. Well thanks to that delisting process that Microsoft unveiled not too long ago, Basement Pool is going to be seeing a bit of a delay. Posting on the Indiegamer boards, Paul Johnson of Rubicon said that while the game is a pet project of his that will likely never really die, Rubicon is waiting for Bankshot Billiards to be retired before releasing Basement Pool to XBLA.

And hey, as for Shotest Shogi, after a bit of a certification debacle, it's finally passed and it's only up to Microsoft when it goes live. For those unfamiliar with the concept, Shogi is a harder, deeper, and more complex version of chess. Thankfully Rubicon professes to have spent an inordinate amount of time on a tutorial mode, meaning that anyone who'd like to deepen their strategic thinking a bit should be able to find some enjoyment here.
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Gowans007 said:
Shard is back!!!!!

Hail to the KING baby!!! ;)
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That reminds me, more on Duke Nukem 3D XBLA

http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2008/02/04/daily17.html

Duke Nukem Forever is not the only 3D Realms title coming to home video game consoles in 2008. Miller also confirmed the existence of a downloadable Xbox Live Arcade version of Duke Nukem 3D, which will feature on-line multiplayer support, Xbox Live achievements, on-line score boards, and a co-op mode.

"We're really excited about bringing classic Duke to the 360," said Miller during an interview. "We're talking to Microsoft about getting a release slot sometime this year."
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Also, some fresh info about the XBLA-Specific features have been uncovered.
http://gaming.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=14317

Classic shooter gets new features for XBLA
Advertisement
Yeah baby! Ok, so Duke Nukem 3D was the shooter for the redneck in all of us… frantic action, pig-cops for bad guys and the added feature of being able to throw money at scantily clad dancers.

So rumours have been circulating that Duke Nukem 3D is heading to XBLA very soon and though we haven’t been able to get a definite launch date, we have turned up so more info. What we have managed to uncover is a brief list of the new features being added to Duke Nukem 3D to bring it in-line with what today’s gamer is looking for in a shooter.

First off, there’s going to be at least 39 levels of action for you to unlock as you follow Duke’s return to Earth to find that alien space maggots have taken over the police force, corrupting officers and chasing after our babes. The wonderful Pipe Bomb makes a welcome return as does the brilliant Shrink Ray and Freezer… but there’s more to come.

Your score will be show on an XBLA leaderboard so your mates can see how much you rock and of course there’s a bunch of achievements to get grab too. Completely new is the ‘painless death system’, that will allow you to rewind the play back to pretty much any point in the last few minutes of play. Handy if you get your ass kicked or just if you want to play a section through a second time to try it differently. This ties in the new User Clip system which will allow you to record, upload and share your favourite Duke moments, purely for bragging rights purposes.

And finally there’s the multiplayer side with online MP co-op games and up to 8 player deathmatch… and having cut my online gaming teeth with Duke over serial cable all those years ago, I’m particularly looking forward to that one.

Anyway, that’s all we’ve managed to discover for now, we’ll keep you posted as soon as we have anything else.
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Vigilante 8 Status Update
http://v8arcade.com/blog/dev-update-3

Dev Update #3
Monday, July 7th, 2008

We’re happy to announce that the game is finished! We continue putting final touches on the DLC, to be released about four weeks following the launch, and creating various web banners and additional PR materials to go with it.

The game is currently undergoing final QA sweep and we expect an official submission to Microsoft take place very soon. Once the game is approved by Microsoft, they will inform us of a release date, which we will be posting here as soon as we get the word.

We’ve also created a rather ‘unique’ video teaser for the game to hit the web late this week. Hope you all like it.

Stay tuned!

-P.
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Voice Chat Inclusion

http://v8arcade.com/fanmail/re-headset-tournaments-v83

Re: Headset, Tournaments, V8:3?
Monday, July 7th, 2008

Hey guys, I have some questions:
1) Are you going to be able to talk with your headset?
2) Are you all going to have Tournaments for online play?
3) When and if this game does well are you going to create a 3rd V8?

-Rey

Iso Team:
Hi Rey. Good questions! 1) Yes, definitely. 2) We’re talking about it; maybe at least a forum for V8 fans to come together and exchange gamertags and schedule battles. 3) Would love to, although V8: Arcade isn’t that far off the mark! :)
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IGN XBLA Hands-On Preview

For anyone who doesn't already know, Vigilante 8: Arcade pits up to eight players as one of eight different characters and lets them loose in five separate arenas to do battle. Of course each vehicle has its own personality, look and feel to its driving mechanics just as you'd expect. There are the quick hot rods like Jefferson and then there's the giant winnabego named GrooVan. Each driver has their own quest which is pretty fun, even though it is just a set of three bot matches, and comes complete with a small paragraph explaining their story. Beating each will unlock a new car for use in multiplayer or quick battles.

You'll find the usual stable of weapons. You'll see rockets, guided missiles, mortar shells, mines and special weapons to go along with shields, radar jammers and multipliers as power-ups. The combat in the original Vigilante 8 was a real challenge, even at the medium difficulty, and V8: Arcade is no different. I found myself struggling just as much as I did in the PlayStation version which is a definite nod to the faithful adaptation.

It's venturing through the levels that you'll find the most fun and destructive ways to take down your enemies. V8: Arcade is all about finding the location of your favorite items, then using them against your foes and repeating that process. There's a system called Whammies that multiplies their damage if they can hit an opponent with two weapons simultaneously. I had no problem firing up a mortar then launching a rocket and a missile at a baddy to score the coveted 2x Whammy, thus making short work of his life bar.

There are also plenty of environmental hazards that can be utilized in battle. The Oil Field level, for instance, has a long pipeline that can be ignited to send cars flying. That same stage includes oil rigs that can be used as makeshift bombs and another level is home to meteor landing sites that can erupt in a green destructive force. And that's just to name a few of the many obstacles.

The destructibility of everything in the environment has been ratcheted up a bit since the last time we saw the series on Dreamcast. Things splinter and break apart in a much prettier fashion than they did back before the turn of the century, and the amount of action on-screen can get downright frantic at times. Sadly in our preview build that did come at the expense of the framerate, which dipped considerably fairly often. Luckily there's plenty of time to tune up the package before it's sent off to the masses.
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Great info Shard, and welcome back.

The Duke3D stuff sounds insane. I'm not sure I really needed rewind or video capture, but it's amazing that 3DRealms added them in for the fans.

Online MP with standard XBLA features (headset, matchmaking) was MORE than enough for me.
 
I suppose of Duke3D had high res assets a la Marathon, it would have been mentioned.

I'm fine with the original visuals, I had no problem with DOOM. This is gonna be great!

The guys at MS/Bungie that did the Marathon conversion did say that doing the art in HD may not have been the best decision because it dates the visuals even more, and using the original artwork would have made the game more comparable "to it's time" rather than being compared to new titles. If I'm not making sense I apologize I'm tired.
 
CapKraig said:
Gowan: What about the pigs in particular did you mean?
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Its just there heads are pretty squashed up with them being little fat rolling spheres.

Also its weird but my fave thing in the whole demo was the half second where it showed you making crop circles.

Really love the way it looks like you have to heard and tease animals around (tho i wasn't too keen when I saw arrows on the ground but guess thats a different mode).

Will be bought straight away if this turns out to be the different style hearding puzzler it looks.




That Beefy mode on Castle Crashers looks awesome, PLEASE BE A E3 SURPRISE!

& cant wait to play Duke co-op!
 
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