Official Xbox Live Arcade Thread

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http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/104/1042736p1.html

Bonk: Brink of Extinction Hands-on

Hudson is in the process of thawing one of its most beloved classic heroes, Bonk the caveman, for a return on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and WiiWare. Bonk was the superstar of the TurboGrafx-16, so that means at least five or six people must remember him. We spent some time with the new game, Brink of Extinction, recently and are happy to report that it looks better in motion than it does in the first screenshots that were released. The character animation is fluid and everything is now rendered in 3D (although it is still a 2D platformer). The build we played was a little on the easy side but Hudson explained the difficulty is still being tuned.

Bonk's familiar headbutt is still his signature move and you'll run around slamming his noggin' into every enemy in sight. Fans will also be happy to see he can still swim up waterfalls, chomp his way up cliffs, and slow his descent by spinning in mid-air.. When he eats meat he will increase in size and begin to glow red, buzzed from all the protein flowing through his system. A few changes have been made to the gameplay, though. Bonk now moves a quarter faster than he did back on the TurboGrafx-16. Hudson said when it went back to play the older games the hero felt a little sluggish.

Bonk can pick up a horned skull to wear and then charge into enemies. He can also turn into Fire Bonk and spit fireballs. Those fireballs come in handy during the first boss encounter with a Raptor wearing military garb. He's up on a ledge ordering his minions to attack you from the sides and fish to jump up and bite you from below the bridge you're standing on. Your fireballs can reach him, though.

There are five transformations to be found in the regular game and one extra form to be gained from playing a Scrabble-like mini-game called Scribble in between levels. Once Bonk gains a transformation he'll keep it for the rest of the game. You'll also receive story exposition in between levels in the form of cave paintings.

One thing that doesn't look so hot is that enemies flash and disappear when defeated. It's definitely old school, but maybe not in a good way. Looks a little cheap. There is also a sequence where man-eating plants spit Bonk higher and higher like the exploding barrels in 'Splosion Man, but the plants' mouths don't move. Hopefully that animation is planned. Finally, the collision detection felt a little wonky. It didn't quite feel like Bonk was making contact with enemies.

For those who miss the pixilated Bonk of yore, you'll get to see him every time the game saves as an icon in the upper right corner of the screen.

Bringing Bonk into the modern age, two players can now drop in/drop out for an online game. More multiplayer fun is also being planned as downloadable content.

During our brief time with the game we unlocked achievements fast and furiously. Looks like this will be a good one for achievement/trophy hunters. Bonk: Brink of Extinction will set you back $10 when it is released early next year. Fans may be wondering: what about cyborg Bonk -- Zonk? Hudson says it has some ideas for him and if lots of people buy Brink of Extinction we may see Zonk return.
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Bomberman Live: Battlefest Hands-on

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/104/1042768p1.html

Bomberman Live has been quite successful on Xbox Live Arcade, detonating on over half a million consoles since its release back in 2007. Hudson is about ready for the follow-up and it isn't messing with the familiar formula too much: the focus here is again online multiplayer matches for eight players, but now you'll have even more power-ups and costumes at your disposal. Perhaps the most significant new feature is the ability to play as your Xbox Live avatar. You can completely replace the usual Bomberman character with your avatar and run around the arena throwing bombs at your friends.

Another significant feature being added is team gameplay. Both locally and online you can gang up with your pals and take on another group of Bombermen and women. To take advantage of this new option there are a couple team-based game modes: Capture the Flag and VIP. Capture the Flag is self-explanatory, but in VIP each team of four has a very important person that must be protected. Unfortunately, the VIP is useless and can't set any bombs to help the team out.

Bomberman Blast on WiiWare had a mode called Capture the Crown, which is being included in Battlefest. Basically, the player that can wear the crown the longest wins. Then there is Bankroll mode which lets you buy power-ups in between rounds with points earned by bombing enemies and walls. New power-ups include the Cluster Bomb and Laser Bomb. Players will also have new environments to destroy such as an Adventure Island-themed area and the shape-shifting MultiMaze.

Bomberman Live: Battlefest is still fun, but what remains to be seen is whether or not there is enough new content here to warrant another $10 purchase. The ability to play as your avatar is pretty cool, but couldn't that have been an update to the existing Bomberman Live? We'll find out this winter.
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Dural said:
Anyone else not receive their points from the promotion? I bought all the games within the time period and still haven't received anything, does it come as a code in a email or is it just automatically added to your account?
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I still have not received my points. I called them up almost six weeks after the promo ended and they told me I needed to wait the additional couple of days ( equaling exactly six weeks ) to see if they would automatically be deposited. They said if they weren't, to just call 'em back. Thanks for reminding me I need to do so.
 
Greed Corp Coming To Xbox Live And PSN In 2010

http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Greed-Corp-Coming-To-Xbox-Live-And-PSN-In-2010-21033.html

The Amsterdam based development and publishing studio, W!Games, announced today that their turn-based strategy game is being ported over to the Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation 3
. The game is scheduled to appear on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network in the early half of 2010.

According to the press release…

The first in a series of games based in the rich Mistbound universe, Greed Corp is set in a world of feudal warfare and environmental destruction through industrial consumption. As one of four warring factions your aim is territorial domination, but at what cost?

The description for this game is totally kick-butt: the objective sees players having to harvest to earn credits and build up an army like any other strategy-based game. However, the game uses land-collapsing technology and players can literally destroy the land under their enemies or the enemies can do the same to players. Gamers will have to find a balance of maintaining resource management without totally obliterating the entire landscape.

Manufacturing walkers, transports, harvesters and other use mechanical tools will aid players in their conquest for total domination. To be an indie title, it sounds kind of cool. You can learn more about Greed Corp by visiting the Official Website.
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0-D Beat Drop Review

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/104/1044086p1.html

The ability to analyze your own music and wrap the gameplay around it makes 0-D Beat Drop a standout puzzle game on Xbox Live Arcade. It definitely borrows a lot from similar games (you might even say steals) but the demanding rhythmic component here makes the end result unique. Fans of falling-shape puzzlers like Puyo Puyo or music games like Lumines should definitely give this one a drop.

IGN Ratings for 0-D Beat Drop (X360)

9.0 Presentation
Lotsa modes to try and the Beat-O-Matic will analyze your music and sync it to the game.

7.5 Graphics
There are 20 slick backgrounds but you'll probably be too busy beat dropping to notice much.

8.5 Sound
The included Japanese techno tracks are fine, but the impressive Beat-O-Matic makes things even more engrossing when you add your own tunes.

8.5 Gameplay
You've played games like this before (Tetris, Columns, Puyo Puyo) but the demanding rhythmic component makes 0-D Beat Drop its own beast. It definitely has that elusive "addictive" quality.

8.5 Lasting Appeal
Five single-player modes plus plenty of local and online multiplayer options.

8.5
Great OVERALL Editor's Choice
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Yeah.. Unrivaled is pretty lousy. Clear to me that they were going for old Tecmo NBA Basketball feel with the dunk cinemas and such.. but the animation is nonexistent and it the controls are very stiff. Some people may dig it...?

Looking forward to checking out OD Beat Drop tonight after work.
 
So, I recently got my rebate back from the Summer of Arcade. It didn't come automatically, and they had to do it manually. Trials HD wasn't showing up. So I got on the line with Microsoft for an hour(Not a joke).

And I finally got it back today, and awesome surprise. It's 1200points. Yesterday was a generous day for me.
 
Wow Unrivaled...good lord that came from tecmo. That should have been shelved. Its not even that the animations feel stiff, it feels like there are frames missing on stuff like running, jumping etc (the jump is like hands straight up, guy hovers up lol). The dunk cutscenes are kinda neat but everything else is just..wow. Stay away. lol
 
With Unrivaled, I think it's clear they where going for a retro, arcadey style. I just... kinda wish they just made it 2D. Retro animation with 3D models just isn't as easy to appeal with.

I wish turbo was a bit faster, and the whole game does feel a bit "loose". I actually didn't hate it, but $15 for it, when there are so many better titles on Arcade and Indie Games...

O-D beat Drop, however... love the presentation, rather enjoy the music, like the Summer Vacation bonus song... Feels very feature packed. The "buy now" presentation is also one of the nicer ones I've seen on Live. The tutorials are in depth and can go on forever explaining all the nuances of the game.

Love the fact it offers Co Op and Competative multiplayer too, and the A.I. mode even features an upgradeable A.I. partner. Really am much more impressed after playing it, than I was just looking at it.

Question: Does the does the game have unique songs per skin, or per stage? It's hard to tell from the Demo. The ability to use your own music is a great addition, but I hope that doesn't mean they skimped on the games own soundtrack.

E.Experiment I didn't try... I might later, but brain-training minigames just aren't my thing.
 
Is it just me, or did OD Beat Drop completely ape the visual style, menus, and beat analyzer from Q Entertainment's E4? I mean, the intro when the game is booting up is the same, the numbers are all the same, the background colors... maybe there's some sort of partnership or the "engine" is licensed or something.
 
I dislike the fact that it disconnects you from Live when you analyze a song, although it's understandable since you need to hit the guide button.
 
SHOTEH FOCK OP said:
Is it just me, or did OD Beat Drop completely ape the visual style, menus, and beat analyzer from Q Entertainment's E4? I mean, the intro when the game is booting up is the same, the numbers are all the same, the background colors... maybe there's some sort of partnership or the "engine" is licensed or something.
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Holy shit, Cyclone Zero developed E4. That would explain it.

"Aksys is in the process of localizing OD Beat Drop, a rhythm based block dropping game for Xbox Live Arcade from a studio that worked on Every Extend Extra Extreme. No, not Q Entertainment — Cyclone Zero, one of Japan’s stealth developers. Their resume consists of undisclosed PSP and DS, as well as E4."

Source: http://www.siliconera.com/2009/07/14/0d-beat-drop-is-like-musical-puyo-pop/
 
N4Us said:
I dislike the fact that it disconnects you from Live when you analyze a song, although it's understandable since you need to hit the guide button.
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Sounds like you bought it.

Are there different music tracks for the different skins? I was able to select from a few different skins in the demo, but they all had the same music track.
 
Currently there are 4 people on the NBA Unrivaled online game leaderboards, and nobody on the single player leaderboards :lol
 
Ummm... LOL.

29dvdyt.jpg
 
Jube3 said:
Wow Unrivaled...good lord that came from tecmo. That should have been shelved. Its not even that the animations feel stiff, it feels like there are frames missing on stuff like running, jumping etc (the jump is like hands straight up, guy hovers up lol). The dunk cutscenes are kinda neat but everything else is just..wow. Stay away. lol
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Rlan said:
Currently there are 4 people on the NBA Unrivaled online game leaderboards, and nobody on the single player leaderboards :lol
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I was wondering why sales were so low, until I noticed it's 1200 points.
 
http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazi.../11/madden-nfl-arcade-release-date-announced/

Madden NFL Arcade will be available on November 24 for the PSN and 25 for the Xbox LIVE Arcade.

This is a new way to play Madden which focuses on a fun, pick-up-and-play, 5-on-5 game between fans. Each team included features the five top offensive and defensive players.

We can’t give you the whole list of available players, but we can give you a list of the teams which are included in the game: Bears, Bengals, Bills, Broncos, Browns, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Chargers, Chiefs, Colts, Cowboys, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, 49ers, Giants, Jaguars, Jets Lions, Packers, Panthers, Patriots, Raiders, Rams, Ravens, Redskins, Saints, Seahawks, Steelers, Titans, Vikings, Texans
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Snuggler said:
Any word on Peggle Nights' release? The only info I could find was "sometime this fall for an undisclosed price." I would punch myself in the face to get it sometime soon.
Need more peggles, please.
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Peggle Nights Achievements

Peggle PHD 0 (20)
Complete the Peggle Nights Adventure mode. You'll know everyone at the Peggle Institute!
Achievement not yet won | There are no guides - add a guide
No tracked gamers have this Achievement


Tenured 0 (20)
Complete all of the challenges in Peggle Nights Challenge mode.
Achievement not yet won | There are no guides - add a guide
No tracked gamers have this Achievement


Purple Necklace 0 (10)
Hit 13 purple pegs during a single level with Marina in Adventure or Quick Play modes. Pretty!
Achievement not yet won | There are no guides - add a guide
No tracked gamers have this Achievement
 
Is Doom II still 2009? Anything being said at all? I'm expecting it to come out in early January. Millions of gift cards given for Xmas + striking while the iron is hot + huge nostalgia and name recognition factor = potentially big sales for a 15-year-old game.
 
Aaron said:
You honestly expect a not really officially announced game from Rare to hit in the next month and a half?
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Well it pretty much has been announced, considering all the screenshots and product pages. They even mention this Winter as a release or more specifically "it seems likely to be near the end of 2009".
 
Didn't want to start a new thread, and this looked like the best place to ask.

I'm in the UK with a UK gamertag, but I'm interested in making a US gamertag, to take advantage of the bounty of free stuff not available to me (Free games, and downloads).

Is it worth my while? Will I actually be able to download anything, or will I get IP blocked?
 
nli10 said:
Peggle Nights Achievements

Peggle PHD 0 (20)
Complete the Peggle Nights Adventure mode. You'll know everyone at the Peggle Institute!
Achievement not yet won | There are no guides - add a guide
No tracked gamers have this Achievement


Tenured 0 (20)
Complete all of the challenges in Peggle Nights Challenge mode.
Achievement not yet won | There are no guides - add a guide
No tracked gamers have this Achievement


Purple Necklace 0 (10)
Hit 13 purple pegs during a single level with Marina in Adventure or Quick Play modes. Pretty!
Achievement not yet won | There are no guides - add a guide
No tracked gamers have this Achievement
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This needs to come out, stat.
 
Rlan said:
Currently there are 4 people on the NBA Unrivaled online game leaderboards, and nobody on the single player leaderboards :lol
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What a piece of crap that game is. Tried the demo. Couldn't even tell where the basketball was 95% of the time. Deleted.
 
Interested in Gyromancer. Can someone explain to me what a puzzle RPG is? I guess I'll know soon enough on Wednesday. I skipped Puzzle Quest despite interest simply because I hated the art style. Is this Puzzle Quest but with Square Enix flavor?
 
Imagine a Puzzle RPG as an RPG where the battle system is a puzzle game. Unlike most competative puzzle games, that have each player using their own screen, and dropping "junk blocks" on each other, Gyromancer and Puzzle Quest keep the action on one gameplay area, and players take turns, trying to make matches. When a match is made, it deals damage to the enemy.

Combos/chains deal greater damage, and players and enemies also have attack spells, that can be used by destroying pieces of the same color/type. These function just like the spells of any regular RPG.

Hopefully, you'll like the art of Gyromancer. If Puzzle quest could be seen as Anime-ish with western sensibilities in the details, Gyromancer, in direct opposition, looks like American fantasy art, with Japanese fantasy tropes added for good measure. Personally, I find both styles to be high-quality in nature.

Thought 'mancer was mentioned to be 800 pts a while back, but it appears to be 1200. I've no real problem with this... if it's as good as Puzzle Quest, it'll feel like a 50 dollar purchase by the time you finish the game...
 
Oh Gyromancer, you will be mine in 2 days.
 
I guess I'm out of the loop, but what is the word on additional content for Trials HD? I'm hooked on the game at the moment, hoping for more tracks/vehicles/challenges or whatever I can get.

I've been hooked on a lot of Arcade games lately, I really enjoy putting a good custom soundtrack on and playing some sonic/trials/peggle/uno, etc... good times. On that note, someone should make a more dedicated XBLA thread similar to the PSN one we have, it would sure be nice.
 
Monkeylord said:
Didn't want to start a new thread, and this looked like the best place to ask.

I'm in the UK with a UK gamertag, but I'm interested in making a US gamertag, to take advantage of the bounty of free stuff not available to me (Free games, and downloads).

Is it worth my while? Will I actually be able to download anything, or will I get IP blocked?
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Worked fine for me, I was able to download Aegis Wing and the glory that is Yaris.
 
Polar Panic Breaks The Ice On XBLA, PSN

http://www.gamerbytes.com/2009/11/polar_panic_breaks_the_ice_on.php

Valcon Games and Eiconic Games have announced Polar Panic, a fast paced action-puzzler that could give Bomberman Battlefest a run for his money.

Polar Panic follows a Polar Bear that has lost his home and family through the evil Globo Co. destroying everything in its path. Now is the time to take action - by pushing ice blocks around.

Based on the trailer the game is surprisingly fast - much faster than Bomberman or Adventures of Lolo were. It's also giving you feedback constantly, something which developers seem to forget is key to games like this.

The game features 50 single player levels, which seems to play out much like a SNES Bomberman's store mode, 50 puzzle levels and a 4-player survival mode.

It looks really nice, but also looks like something that might get overlooked based on the name and premise - hopefully that will not be the case. The game is coming soon, likely before Christmas, so keep a look out for it.
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http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/61261

Peggle XBLA 'Nights' Expansion Priced, Dated

The Peggle Xbox Live Arcade downloadable content bringing PC sequel Peggle Nights' sixty levels of peg-pinging fun will arrive on November 18, PopCap has revealed.

The Nights DLC will run 400 Microsoft Points ($5)--nearly doubling the game's level count for half its original price--with PopCap's Garth Chouteau further telling Shacknews that "you have to admit Marina is the sexiest electric squid in videogamedom!"
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