Official Xbox Live Arcade Thread

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Namco Bandai announced today that a new versio of the super-popular (and super fun) Pac-Man Championship Edition would be released to both the Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade under the moniker Pac-Man Championship Edition DX.

Promising new modes, mazes, and other enhancements, the game is apparently scheduled for a Fall release on both systems. Full PR below:

LOS ANGELES, Calif., (June 15, 2010) - Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today PAC-MAN Championship Edition™ DX for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system's PlayStation®Network. The follow-up to the 2007 award winning title, the game bolsters the beloved arcade formula by offering even more sophisticated mazes, modes, and enhancements. It'll be a celebration for fanatics and a new generation of players alike when PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX is available this fall.

PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX continues to uphold NAMCO BANDAI's tradition of enhancing a classic franchise for today's gamer. Building upon PAC-MAN Championship Edition's original six courses, the new game features more than 100 varied and mind-boggling mazes to navigate. Several new modes will also be available to test a player's pellet-munching aptitude. In Time Attack Mode, players will vie for the quickest clear time. Fulfill a series of objectives in Mission Mode or compete to devour the most number of ghosts gobbled in Ghost Mode.

With brand new visual variations and music, plus all the great features found in the first PAC-MAN Championship Edition including mazes that dynamically change shape during gameplay, PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX is a game worthy of the rotund hero's 30th birthday.
 
http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/109/1096052p1.html

E3 2010: Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 Preview

One big, controversial change has come to the Bionic Commando franchise. Of course, I'm talking about Radd Spencer's new mustache. Oh, and also there's a jump button.

When the ability to jump was announced, fans became split. Some loved it, many hated it. But no one had actually played it--until now. I'm the one who slobbered all over the first Bionic Commando Rearmed. What can I say? The original NES game is one of my favorites of all time. I too was skeptical about the addition of a jump button and after playing through a few short levels, I'm still not convinced. A jump gets you more height and, let's face it, is something a gamer naturally wants to do when their character nears a ledge. Even when you think, "I want to swing," you think to jump first. But the sample levels don't show an actual need for this addition. Hopefully, later levels will make creative use of the jump, adding moves and perhaps a few platforming twists that make this ability invaluable.

But I'm here to warn you not to get hung up on the new jump button. It's small potatoes compared to some of the other additions. The biggest of these is the addition of upgrade stations. Depending on where and when you find them in Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, the upgrade stations have different items available. You get both a passive and an active upgrade. Passive upgrades are things like health regen. Active upgrades improve your bionic arm and can add goodies like a grenade launcher or an uppercut.

The health regen in particular can totally change the game for you. Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 is geared to be just as tough as the original. And having Radd constantly regaining health can make a challenging boss battle just a touch easier. Slotting the health regen means leaving behind a passive upgrade that may be equally helpful. Purists probably won't want to touch health regeneration, but it's a nice way of making things a little easier on the less skilled without having to dumb down the game with an easy difficulty.

The active options are a lot of fun. Each changes the physical appearance of your bionic arm. The uppercut (an early fave) adds a purple glow. As the name suggests, this enables you to deliver a devastating uppercut that sends enemies flying. It can destroy otherwise indestructible objects (and bridges).

Speaking of destroying stuff, there are new guns added to your arsenal. The most notable in the E3 demo is the wonderful napalm gun. This is not a flamethrower--it's much better. It fires a grenade, which practically dribbles out the gun. When it explodes, it lays a trail of fire that incinerates just about anything in its path. This trail covers half the screen (so be careful where you fire). This is one sweet gun. And if this is what's being shown at E3, imagine what's being saved for reveals later in the year.

But wait, there's more! How about Bionic Vision? For those who had trouble figuring out what they could interact with in the first Bionic Commando Rearmed, you can now scan the environment to get a quick idea of enemies, objects, and other things of interest.

Also new to Rearmed is an ability lifted from the retail version of Bionic Commando--Death from Above. When you have a little bit of air, you can hit a button and Radd drops down, pounding his bionic fist into the ground and damaging enemies. This ability is going to play a key role in BCR2. Though the E3 demo is only 10-15 minutes long, I had to use Death from Above a few different times. There are some mechanisms that need to be ground-pounded, some objects that need to be crushed as well. But the main use in the demo is for defeating the boss.

In true Bionic Commando fashion, the boss is a cranky dude who climbs into a big metal contraption. Killing the man is easy--you just have to destroy the machine. This one in particular stands on chicken-like legs, firing napalm blasts (it's like using your cool new weapon against you) and stomping the ground. There are some streetlights you can swing along, then when you are near the metal legs, drop down to incapacitate them. You need to knock out both legs, which isn't so easy, as one leg can recover pretty quickly. You'll need to master your swinging rhythm.

Or, if you are really clever, you'll notice there are some metal bars hanging on the machine's undercarriage. You can swing on these. With good timing on the release of your swing, you can get just enough air to initiate Death from Above. This is a quicker and safer way to take out the legs and leave the machine vulnerable.

Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 controls a lot like the first game (now with a jump button!), looks a lot like the first game (but more colorful!), and is tough as nails like the first game (#$@^&%#!!). Nothing wrong with that--the first BCR was pretty good.
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E3 2010 Interview: We chat with Team17's studio head about Alien Breed: Impact
http://news.bigdownload.com/2010/06/15/interview-we-chat-with-team17s-studio-head-about-alien-breed/

While UK-based Team17 has worked on a number of retail games for the PC and other platforms for various publishers, the development team has now decided to go on its own by developing downloadable titles and self-publishing them for various platforms. Recently the team released Alien Breed: Impact on Steam. The top-down sci-fi shooter is both a revival of the developer's Alien Breed games of the 1990s as well as a revamped version of their 2009 Xbox Live Arcade game Alien Breed Evolution.

Big Download got a chance to get some questions about the game and other topics answer by Team17's long time studio head Martyn Brown.

First, you decided to rename Alien Breed Evolution to Alien Breed Impact for the PC release. Why did you decide to do this and are you afraid it might cause some confusion in the marketplace?

Having made the decision to revamp the title for PC, we decided upon a new naming strategy for the title. Since the original game (Evolution) had only been released on Xbox 360, we felt that any confusion would be minimal and readily explained.

Why did the team decide to add the concept of upgrades for weapons via cash in the game?

We paid a lot of attention to early feedback of the original game and it was clear that people really wanted more depth and strategy in the gameplay and after lengthy discussion and design it's what we implemented. It makes a great deal of difference and adds a opportunity to replay with a different strategy/approach.

What other differences are there between the PC version and the previous Xbox 360 game?

As well as the upgrades, credit system we also made changes to the game so that the game doesn't "hold the players hand" so much, so it's actually possible to wander off the path a little more, we also tightened up the play, making it more challenging, added more Alien types and make it easier to spot the creatures AI so you plan against it.

Why did you decide to make the game a Steam exclusive for the PC release?

Team17 is very much dedicated to digital publishing and Steam represents the current market leader. Also with Steamworks we get product update support, achievements, leaderboards and friends-lists etc – after much console work it's clear these are valuable. Retail games for the PC are struggling somewhat so it was a pretty straight forward decision. We will release the game on other digital platforms later.

This is the first game that Team17 has released in a while without a major publisher. How has the experience been so far to be in charge of all aspects of a game's release?

Actually we started publishing our own games again digitally in 2007, we're very happy to be in control of all the aspects. We've had to re-grow our publishing/marketing activities and that will only improve and gain significance in the months to come.

Does Team17 plan to continue to release games via download or will we see you return to releasing games in retail stores?

Whilst we can't rule out some retail releases if it makes sense, pretty much our entire portfolio is planned around digital platforms and self-publishing.

What can you tell us about the current status of Worms Reloaded?

That it will be with you later in the summer.

The ESRB web site recently posted up word on Alien Breed 2: Assault. Is this the second part of the planned trilogy and if so what can you tell us about it?

We are not discussing the 2nd chapter just yet, sorry.

Can you give us any hints about any more games in the works at Team17?

Come on, you know the score, we can't do that yet

Finally is there anything else you wish to say about Alien Breed Impact's release on the PC?

The game has performed strongly in Steam's top 10, so we're obviously hopeful for that to continue and thank all those that support us – if anyone has feedback, please leave it on Steam or visit our Facebook page.
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Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, now with more mustache:

c96f166bf9f0c5f4f78b34f0fb399a2c.jpg



Screens here

Release Date: Q1 2011
Genre: Platforming
Platform: PSN, XBLA
Rating: Pending
Developer: Fat Shark
Publisher: Capcom
Price: TBD

Capcom unveils the next evolution in 3D side-scrolling action with Bionic Commando Rearmed 2. Nathan Spencer returns as the daring elite soldier equipped with special bionic abilities. Spencer will have to face his greatest challenge yet as General Sabio, a new technologically sophisticated foe, is on the brink of launching a deadly missile attack.

Nathan Spencer will make use of his trademark tool – his bionic grappling hook – to grab, swing and leap through series of lush new environments. He’ll be met by plenty of gun-toting soldiers and mechanized threats ready to give him a hostile greeting. Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 improves upon the visual achievements of its predecessor with the addition of more detailed character models, textures, and vibrant colors. New player mechanics will add another strategic layer of platforming to the overall experience and the famous bionic arm will be getting a major makeover delivering a more dynamic bionic experience to the player.

Key features:
• Sequel to the popular downloadable title on PSN and Xbox LIVE, Bionic Commando Rearmed

• New Weapons, attacks and enhancements for the the all-purpose Bionic Arm

• New platforming mechanics provides more freedom and challenges. Now the impossible is within your “leap!”

• New physics-based puzzles will take the platforming experience to another level

• 2-player co-op is back and better than ever.

• Enhanced graphics and better camera functionality.

• All new musical score inspired by NES-era sound effects, produced by the same creative mind behind the original Bionic Commando Rearmed soundtrack

• Cut-scene art designed by cutting-edge art studio Massive Black, whose previously worked on Infamous, Bioshock 2 and,God of War III
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E3 2010: Dead Rising: Case Zero Preview

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/109/1098268p1.html

At this year's E3, Capcom finally had the upcoming Xbox Live exclusive Dead Rising: Case Zero on hand for press to check out. Set to release "a month or so" before Dead Rising 2 ships to retail, Case Zero is a unique kind of experiment for Capcom. It's not a demo; instead, it's a full-featured but brief introduction to the characters and world of Dead Rising 2.

Case Zero starts twelve hours after the initial outbreak of the zombie virus in (insert city name here). Chuck, the main character from Dead Rising 2, has arrived in a small, seemingly abandoned town after fleeing the city with his daughter Katie. Things are looking grim for Chuck. His wife was killed during the zombie carnage in (insert city name here) and Katie has been bitten, leaving her infected and in desperate need of Zombrex, the only means to stave off the zombie virus – for a time. In Case Zero, Zombrex is still new, and a dose lasts only twelve hours before the virus resumes its attack.

As Chuck rolls into Still Creek, his truck is out of gas and he's looking for help. As he moves Katie inside a gas station to look for supplies while his tank fills up, a shadowy figure sneaks behind him and behind the wheel. Chuck chases the thief (and Katie's Zombrex supply) with no luck, only to find that Still Creek's populace is dead but lively. Now, Chuck needs to find enough Zombrex to keep Katie alive while waiting for help to arrive in the form of an Army convoy (and maybe finding enough parts of an old motorcycle to get it working again and escape.

I last saw Dead Rising 2 at Captivate in Hawaii, and I wasn't particularly impressed with what I saw. As Case Zero is the same engine and gameplay mechanics, I wasn't expecting much as I picked up the controller. However, just a few minutes into Case Zero, I was surprised to find a much improved experience all around. The controls feel much improved from my time with the game at Captivate, and the game is performing much better as well, with a more consistent framerate and overall level of polish. The new and improved gun handling in Dead Rising 2 and Case Zero is of particular note. Players can now use firearms as they would in any third-person shooter, and this includes moving and shooting while aiming with the left trigger. Firing guns in Case Zero and Dead Rising 2 is actually fun and useful now. Blue Castle and Capcom have also removed the need to carry multiples of the same gun, instead letting ammunition stack in a single item slot.

More importantly though, this is the first time I've been able to play through Dead Rising's signature case system and objectives in the upcoming sequel. During my previous time with the game, the sandbox element of the game and boss battles were the meat of the experience on hand. While these are important aspects of Dead Rising 2, things got repetitive quickly without a sense of purpose. While playing Case Zero, I felt much more of a sense of purpose than I had previously, and it made the game more enjoyable.

Dead Rising fans should also take particular interest in the ways that Case Zero carries over into Dead Rising 2; the full PP and leveling system from Dead Rising 2 is in place in Case Zero, and so are the combo cards and magazines. Chuck can reach up to level 5 in Case Zero, and all PP, Levels, and Combo Cards collected in Case Zero carry over into Dead Rising 2 proper. Between this and a story that actually seems interesting in its explanation of Chuck's relationship with his daughter, and Dead Rising fans with Xbox 360 fans just might have reason to get excited for Case Zero when it releases this summer.
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Shaneus said:
Prices are coming up correctly, but when I come up to the final screen to pull the trigger, up come the original prices. WTF?
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That's the opposite of what it's doing on Xbox.com :lol

Went through fine at the right prices there though.
 
Just picked up Space Ark, Keflings and the Things on Wheels DLC. :D

Space Ark is pretty good, but having to use the left and right stick is pretty damn confusing.
 
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Hands-On

http://e3.gamespot.com/story/6265775/lara-croft-and-the-guardian-of-light-hands-on

Lara Croft stays in the tombs but finds an interesting new way to raid.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is a spin-off entry to the Tomb Raider franchise. Departing from the previous games' roots, players take control of Lara Croft or the Mayan warrior Totec in an overhead arcade-style shooter. Set in a Mayan ruin, the players will have to fight fearsome, magical demons and solve intricate puzzles. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is planned to be released in August 2010 for the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and PC.

Guardian of Light is being developed by Crystal Dynamics, the same team that has handled the Tomb Raider franchise for nearly seven years. The publisher is Square Enix, best known for its epic role-playing games. However, neither are well known for isometric shooter action detailed within Guardian of Light.

The in-game graphics are smooth and detailed; they're on par with other high-caliber downloadable games, such as Shadow Complex. The ancient Mayan environment feels at home with the rest of the Tomb Raider series. Lara and Totec traverse through lush jungles, raging rivers, and eerie temples.

Guardian of Light includes a variety of gameplay elements, including arcade shooter combat, environment-based puzzles, and item collection. One puzzle included stopping a trap by using Lara’s spear to ascend walls, roll down a boulder, and use it to block a hail of arrows.

Weapon drawing and aiming is controlled with the right analog stick, along with the right triggers to fire. The heroes must manually keep their weapons drawn and have no option to quickly fire by just tapping the shoot button. Changing through an array of items is used with the left shoulder, along with the face buttons. The X button on the Xbox 360 and the square button on the PlayStation 3 allow for quick dodging, while the Y and square buttons allow Lara to plant and detonate bombs. Due to Lara’s fragile health, the dodge button is a necessity, making for an uncomfortable juggle between the offensive and defensive controls.

What They Say: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is a bold new step in the Tomb Raider franchise that gives players creative new options to solve puzzles and combat foes.

What We Say: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is an oddball entry into the series that may find a niche appeal or simply fade into obscurity.
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Hard Corps: Uprising Scratches the Contra Itch
http://gamercrave.com/hard-corps-uprising-scratches-the-contra-itch/3444/

It walks like Contra, it quacks like Contra, but it’s actually Hard Corps: Uprising, an old-school platform shooter coming to Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network this winter. I was not expecting a Contra game of any sort at Konami’s pre-E3 press event last month, which made my time with the game even sweeter.

Hard Corps: Uprising stars Colonel Bahamut, the villain of Contra: Hard Corps for Sega Genesis. So while this game is tied to the Contra series, Konami’s keeping the connection lose in its marketing. But once I started playing the game, I was suddenly back in my childhood bedroom, torching foes with the spread gun.

The most remarkable thing about Hard Corps: Uprising is how similar it feels to the original Contra games. Pacing is not as fast as Contra 3: Alien Wars for Super Nintendo, or the more recent Contra 4. There also seemed to be fewer cheap shots. Most of my time was spent mowing down grunts and stationary cannons, and the boss I faced — a wall of cannons and placed enemies — had clearly recognizable attack patterns. That doesn’t mean the game was easy — it is Contra, after all — and I was warned that difficulty is subject to change in the final version.

Hard Corps: Uprising will have eight levels and roughly 3 bosses. For veteran players, there’s a straight-up arcade mode, but newbs will fare better in Uprising mode, which allows players to build up their character’s abilities as they progress through the game. Call it the next-generation 30 lives code.
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Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge Impressions - First Look

http://e3.gamespot.com/story/626588...ition-lechucks-revenge-impressions-first-look

We take our first look at LucasArts' next special edition of a classic adventure game: Monkey Island 2.

Way back when, the cult-classic Monkey Island graphical adventure series helped put LucasArts on the map as a development house that didn't just make Star Wars games. And perhaps in recognition of this fact, last year, the publisher brought back the very first Secret of Monkey Island in a "special edition" that contained both an updated version of the original game with new graphics and a new, in-depth hint system. And now the second game, LeChuck's Revenge, will get the same treatment in a new special edition packed with even more features.

Who's Making It: The new game is in development at LucasArts with input from the some of game's original creators: Telltale's Dave Grossman, Doublefine's Tim Schafer, and Deathspank creator (and Monkey Island creator) Ron Gilbert.

What It Looks Like: Like the previous special edition game, Monkey Island 2 can be played with a brand-new new graphical interface with colorful, cartoon-style 2D graphics that have several animated details, like fish hopping in the ocean below a bridge across which Guybrush walks, and moths circling the bridge's lantern. However, just like with the last special edition game, you can switch back to the "classic" view in all its pixellated 2D glory.

What You Do: As Guybrush, you walk, talk, and interact with environmental objects to solve the puzzles that are immediately in front of you to progress throughout the game. All of Monkey Island 2's original humorous gags and puzzles are intact in this edition, including the memorable scene of stealing Wally's monocle.

How It Plays: The game can be played both with the thumbsticks on a standard controller to directly control Guybrush's movements, though if you prefer, you can also use the classic point-and-click interface with a mouselike pointer to click on your destinations and any characters or objects with which you want to interact. While using the "new" control scheme, you can not only avail yourself of the game's stepwise hint system (which gradually gives you successively deeper hints on what to do next until it eventually reveals the full solution if you keep using it), but you can also immediately locate the nearest character or object with which to interact by pressing your controller's right bumper, which helpfully highlights the person/thing in question. Once you have your target selected, you can then pull up an easy-to-use radial menu that lists every single available option--though again, if you prefer, you can use the original point-and-click option menu.

In addition to offering both versions of the game, this special edition also includes an in-game commentary mode which pulls up silhouettes of Grossman, Schafer, and Gilbert at the bottom-right corner (not unlike the presentation of Mystery Science Theater 3000) and the creators' witty commentary in text form at the top of the screen. Plus, the game also includes a concept art gallery that lets you view the sketches that the LucasArts team used to create the graphical overhaul for the "new" version of the game.

What They Say: Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge has all the great content and gameplay of the original game, updated for a new generation of game players with new graphics, a hint system, and some fun extras.

What We Say: Yeah, sure. That sounds about right. The game will ship later this year.
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Shard said:
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge Impressions - First Look

http://e3.gamespot.com/story/626588...ition-lechucks-revenge-impressions-first-look
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In addition to offering both versions of the game, this special edition also includes an in-game commentary mode which pulls up silhouettes of Grossman, Schafer, and Gilbert at the bottom-right corner (not unlike the presentation of Mystery Science Theater 3000) and the creators' witty commentary in text form at the top of the screen.
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What? I thought we were going to get audio from them and not text?
 
PepsimanVsJoe said:
Wait a second Uprising has eight levels and three bosses.

Hopefully he means three bosses per level.
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I was thinking the exact same thing. Only Three Bosses = no good. Unless each boss has multiple parts or sections and takes 15 mins to kill.
 
http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/109/1099213p1.html
E3 2010: Otomedius Excellent Announced

Otomedius Excellent is making its way to the States courtesy of Konami, bringing even more 2D shoot-em-up action to the Xbox 360.This is the sequel to the Japan exclusive title Otomedius Gorgeous.

The game is described as having a style similar to Gradius, with an improved upgrade system, new downloadable content, and both local and online multiplayer modes. Up to three players will be able to join the action at once.

"As the sequel to the 2008 Japanese hit Otomedius Gorgeous, Otomedius Excellent boasts a significant visual and gameplay update since its predecessor," said Shinji Hirano, President of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "Accompanied by brilliant graphics and an excellent soundtrack, Otomedius Excellent will engage fans with the Gradius franchise on a whole new level."

Look for Otomedius Excellent soon on the Xbox Live Arcade.
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http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/109/1099138p1.html

E3 2010: Shank Update
Slicing up fools on a moving train.

Shank is one of the prettiest downloadable games on the horizon. It was love at first sight when we saw it at the Penny Arcade Expo last year. Today we played through a new level on a moving train and got to try out the shotgun.

As the train speeds along its track you move forward towards the engine, jumping over the gaps between cars and dispatching bad guys along the way. You have three weapons mapped to the square, triangle, and circle buttons (I was playing on a PlayStation 3 but Shank is also coming to Xbox 360 and PC). Square is your knife, triangle is your chainsaw, and circle fires your gun. You can cycle through your guns by pressing up and down on the D-pad.

Shank is all about mixing up these attacks in order to chain your moves together and create combos. You can fluidly stab a guy in the gut, lift him up in the air with your chainsaw, pull out your shotgun and shoot another guy behind your back, then slam your chainsawed friend into the ground and shank him until he's definitely dead. A couple of my favorite moves are juggling an enemy in the air with your gun blasts and shoving a grenade in someone's mouth and kicking them away from you. The animation is great and Shank looks like a very violent cartoon in action.

That shotgun is new to us, by the way. Previously we had only seen the dual pistols. The shotgun is great for blasting enemies that are a few feet away from you -- and keeping them there. You have unlimited ammo but you do have to stop to reload.

You can grapple enemies with the R1 button Double Dragon-style and perform up-close-and-personal attacks until you're ready to throw them over your shoulder. Larger enemies will break away from your grip, though. With R2 you can perform a Wolverine pounce.

When you make it to the engine the level boss approaches on a jeep. You'll need to shoot the jeep and lob grenades at it while dodging rockets, dispatching incoming enemies, and avoiding falling off the train.

Shank should be here late summer. Hope you're ready to kill some dudes.
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Should I buy Splosion Man, Bionic Commando, or Castlevania? I'm leaning toward CV because it's easy and it'll be my first CV. How does platforming work in BC and SM? Does CV control fine with an analog stick?
 
I also say get Castlevania. Bionic Commando Rearmed is a better choice if you have a LOCAL co-op for multiplayer, but otherwise, SOTN is just a cooler game. So many items, so many great battles, memorable cheesy VA, a great twist, cool imaginative weapons and items...

I own SOTN on PSP and PS1... and I actually am thinking about getting it on Live while on sale.... Argh. Why must SOTN be so cool? XD

And now, a PSA:

Metal Slugg XX "DLC" for Leona: Out Today at 80 msp.

She has her Moon Slasher as her special Melee (Making her only the 2nd person in the game to have a Melee attack strong enough to destroy vehicles), her own win poses, her full KoF stance if you sit still long enough, and instead of tossing grenades, she tosses her Earring Bakudan!

Of course, for a Leona fanboy, this is all great, and you can play her even with people who haven't purchased the DLC (yeah, it's a 108kb code), so I personally find it quite worth the points ^_^ She's not so broken that she breaks the game, but having a character with a 360 degree melee attack is actually quite a nice change of pace...
 
E3 2010: Space Invaders Infinity Gene Preview

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/109/1099484p1.html

After playing games that feature highly customizable mechs, advanced battle systems, immersive stories and 60-hour campaigns, I settled in to Space Invaders Infinity Gene with a certain sense of exhaustion. E3 can do that to you, after all. Having never played Infinity Gene before, I expected the game to feature some sort of insane gameplay catch, so I leaned over to the Square-Enix representative standing by and wearily asked: "so... is there anything I should know?"

He turned to me and responded: "nope. Just point and shoot." Sometimes, simple games are the best.

Infinity Gene takes up the universally recognizable Space Invaders name and creates a simple, fast arcade shooter experience, where players control a small ship and fight against waves of alien baddies. The game was originally released on the iPhone last year, and is now heading to other downloadable fronts -- more specifically, on Xbox Live and perhaps on the PlayStation Network.

The Xbox Live version of Infinity Gene is exactly what you'd expect it to be. The visuals, which are sharp and often look like wireframes, are fantastic in HD and their simplicity fits right in with the classic Space Invaders charm. The music and sound effects are equally retro in style.

Controlling your ship is fast and easy. There are really only two things you need to worry about: moving your ship and shooting. That's it. Otherwise, it's all about dodging the nearly endless hordes of enemies on screen while also avoiding incoming fire.

One nice thing about Infinity Gene is that the camera occasionally shifts its angle to give a slightly different view of the action, giving players the sensation that they are moving forward into space, as opposed to just moving up on the display.

Towards the end of my play session, I went up against a formidable boss named "Water Strider," which is basically a giant digital version of the water strider bugs that skim across the surface of ponds. This battle was just a more difficult version of the standard shooting, as I just needed to keep away from the boss and unload my tiny pixel bullets at it. Poor Water Strider.

Distributing Space Invaders Infinity Gene across other platforms outside of Apple's App Store makes a lot of sense. The game is simple, fast, fun and it looks great on HD sets. Keep your eyes peeled for when this game makes its way to consoles.
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So, by some weird twist, Monday Night Combat, despite all the choppy trailers, turns out to be running at 60fps. I think it's the only 3rd person shooter on the 360 to do so.
 
E3 2010: Trine 2 First Look

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/109/1099496p1.html

Last year was a great year for downloadable games, and amongst these Trine stood out (even being deemed "Impressive" by IGN's own Daemon Hatfield). This year Trine 2 was announced, and at E3 I was able to see a super brief demonstration that showed some of the changes developer Frozenbyte is implementing.

For those of you who haven't experienced Trine (the original only came out on PS3 and PC), allow me to drop some knowledge. Trine was a side-scrolling fantasy action-adventure whose hook came from two things: physics puzzles and character switching. You see, in Trine players had to switch between a thief, a warrior, and a wizard, utilizing their unique abilities and real-world physics to get through whatever challenges got in their way.

Trine 2 looks to have the same hook as its predecessor, but with some enhanced features. Along with some graphical updates (the game looks downright beautiful) and online coop, the characters are getting some new powers. The wizard can now pick up and manipulate enemies as if he was a Force-wielding Jedi, while the thief will have the ability to slow down time. Not much more is known about abilities outside of this, but I'm also told that the levels are being designed to require the specialties of all the classes, increasing the importance of their powers.

The game is slated for release sometime in 2011, and will likely end up on PSN, Xbox Live, and on various PC digital distribution channels. No clear price has been decided, but the game's publisher, Atlus, says that it will be much more "reasonable," than the $20 to $40 price of the original.
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