Official Xbox Live Arcade Thread

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coldvein said:
Is this Catan game noob friendly at all?
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I bought it earlier today, have no prior experience, and already have a grasp on the basics, after just 1 match.
 
Is anybody else unable to download off the Marketplace? I've reboot twice and ran the network test.

The 360 won't let me add points (or show my current amount), download games, and does not list a Catan demo being available (just full game and theme).
 
Shard said:
Once again to the IGN XBOX 360 where they have an interview with Infinite Interactive over the success of Puzzle Quest.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/785/785188p1.html
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I totally blew it with the tips. I just finished the game and had leveled up all my mana skills equally (to 28 each), had a pitiful 5 cunning, and I think 62 battle. I rode the giant rat but never leveled him up far enough to avoid anything on the road. Never had a healing spell (with the knight, which of all classes, I expected to have one). Oh well!

Beat Bane on my first try with under 10 HP remaining. I absolutely loved the game even though I found the crafting and spell research way too difficult. I will certainly buy it again on XBLA and try it with a mage.
 
So, does anybody know any tricks to Catan yet? I haven't really gotten a grasp on it, and I'm not sure like...I don't know, what exactly is it that you do? Wait for good cards, build roads/settlements/cities and try to buy your way through the development deck, hoping for the good ones?

It seems to me that the above is pretty much it, and I'm having trouble seeing any room for cool strategies or countermeasures.

For example, I know a guy that is already pretty set on doing nothing but going for the development deck all the way through the match. At the end of our first match of him doing this, I was pretty sure the game rules would've had something that worked against him since just trying to get wool/grain/ore over and over every round isn't exactly a cunning strategy, but...no, he busted our asses with his overpowerful set of development cards.

What would I have done against that? I guess I should've gotten in the deck race with him, but that would've been boring. I want to build my roads and towns and trade stuff, not troll the dev deck.

Shard said:
Worthplaying has an new expanded preview of Rocketmen up with a whole bunch of screenshots, impressions based off the Gamer's Day build.

http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=42504
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Thanks for the link -- I hadn't seen that game before. You can tell from the screens that it doesn't exactly have high production values and is probably pretty crappy, but you can also tell it's a top-down action fest which means I'll be alone on my friendslist, sending out invites to try and get someone to stop playing Vegas or Minigolf to no avail, and then I'll cry myself to sleep. :(
 
aku:jiki said:
So, does anybody know any tricks to Catan yet? I haven't really gotten a grasp on it, and I'm not sure like...I don't know, what exactly is it that you do? Wait for good cards, build roads/settlements/cities and try to buy your way through the development deck, hoping for the good ones?

It seems to me that the above is pretty much it, and I'm having trouble seeing any room for cool strategies or countermeasures.

For example, I know a guy that is already pretty set on doing nothing but going for the development deck all the way through the match. At the end of our first match of him doing this, I was pretty sure the game rules would've had something that worked against him since just trying to get wool/grain/ore over and over every round isn't exactly a cunning strategy, but...no, he busted our asses with his overpowerful set of development cards.

What would I have done against that? I guess I should've gotten in the deck race with him, but that would've been boring. I want to build my roads and towns and trade stuff, not troll the dev deck.

Thanks for the link -- I hadn't seen that game before. You can tell from the screens that it doesn't exactly have high production values and is probably pretty crappy, but you can also tell it's a top-down action fest which means I'll be alone on my friendslist, sending out invites to try and get someone to stop playing Vegas or Minigolf to no avail, and then I'll cry myself to sleep. :(
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mining the development deck is one of many strategies you can employ in Catan. What determines your strategy in most games is the layout of the board. There's fewer Ore(3) and Brick(3) resources than the others(4 each), and they're not all equally important. If one resource is very scarce on the board(i.e. sitting on a bunch of 2, 3, 11, and 12 tiles), it can throw any strategy into chaos. I've won games by diversifying and making sure I have all resources, and I've won games by going exclusively after one and getting the 2-for-1 port for it, and trading for everything else. (this one works best if the 2-for-1 port for the resource is sitting right between two solid resources of that type, like a 5 and 8.)

The key is learning to read the board before you place your settlements and figuring out which resources you want to concentrate on. Keep an eye on where the ports are, and try to build in a place where you'll be able to control one (a 3-for-1 usually, unless you're trying to corner a specific resource).

Wood and Bricks are important, especially in the early game, since they're needed for building both roads and settlements. Ore and Wheat are important for upgrading to cities, and buying development cards. Sheep are probably the least important in most games, unless you're going to a dev card strategy.
 
Shard said:
Review Round-up, Gamespot reviews Catan and Centipede and Millipede.

Catan
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/puzzle/catan/review.html?sid=6170049
]
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I totally disagree with 7.9 Too slow? What the hell? ITS A BOARD GAME. Its not hungry hungry hippos. As much as we all know reviews mean nothing, they have to effect a games score. People searching for games that get an 8 aren't going to find Catan. And they're going to miss out on the second best game on XBLA(Behind Lumines).

At least they can't cancel the other 2 upcoming board games. And I'm sure since board games are made for such a small market anyways that this may have sold enough to warrant bringing more.
 
There doesn't seem to be a trial version of Catan or am I missing something?

EDIT: Just read the preivous page so nevermind.
 
Maybe they just mean the game mechanics are slow. For example, the XBLA version of Texas Hold 'Em is really slow. Hands that should take seconds take minutes instead and the game just plays very lethargically. I heard they tweaked it to make it go faster but there's still too much waiting involved (everyone has to hit the A button after a hand, for example).
 
bearcatjosh said:
:lol Gamespot never ceases to amaze me.
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Your avatar never ceases to amaze me, either. :lol

The game mechanics are much MUCH more effective than a real board could ever be. They must have just been playing against slow people.
 
Shard said:
I think the consensus is more and more we should be ignoring what Gamespot thinks about games.
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They said it was "good."

"Catan isn't going to be immediately accessible to everyone, but it's a very good interpretation of the classic strategy board game, and the gameplay can be immensely satisfying."

I see no problem with that assessment.
 
Gigglepoo said:
They said it was "good."

"Catan isn't going to be immediately accessible to everyone, but it's a very good interpretation of the classic strategy board game, and the gameplay can be immensely satisfying."

I see no problem with that assessment.
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True enough, true enough.
 
Catan:
In SP you can set the dealing speed as well as skip to your own turn.
In MP you can set a turntime limit.
It's slow if you don't touch the settings, but you have the option to change it so.....
 
The World Of Tron Prepares To Take On Challengers Once Again

Disney Interactive Studios Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Landmark Film "Tron" with the Re-Release of Tron and Discs of Tron - for Xbox LIVE Arcade

BURBANK, Calif. - May 3, 2007 - Since the early era of video games, "Tron" has been synonymous as both a landmark CGI film and the engaging arcade games inspired by that film. In honor of the 25th anniversary of "Tron," Disney Interactive Studios today announced the classic arcade games Tron and Discs of Tron will be re-released this summer through Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system. Xbox LIVE Arcade is the premier destination for digitally distributed, high-definition original and classic games. "The 'Tron' film has captured the imaginations of video game players and film fans for generations with its ground-breaking visuals and action-filled story," said Craig Relyea, vice president of marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. "The classic arcade games Tron and Discs of Tron are returning this summer through Xbox LIVE Arcade with new features and options for the film's 25th anniversary."

Each game includes the original version as well as an enhanced version with new graphics and audio features. Through Xbox LIVE Arcade, players can also compete in both games against another player in four online modes.

In Tron, which first appeared in arcades in 1982, players must complete four increasingly challenging game types to advance through levels. Players battle tank forces, engage in treacherous light cycle combat, attack the MCP cone and fight off grid bugs to enter the I/O tower.

Discs of Tron, a follow-up 1983 arcade game, enables players to fight Sark, the defender of Master Control Program, in one-on-one battles taking place in three-dimensional futuristic arenas. Players must move between platforms while throwing energy-charged discs at Sark and deflecting oncoming discs to avoid being "derezzed."

Published by Disney Interactive Studios and developed by Backbone Charlottetown, Tron and Discs of Tron are rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Both games will be available individually this summer exclusively on Xbox LIVE Arcade.
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tronoriginal3sa9.jpg


tronenhanced2or9.jpg


Would have been nice is they went all out and did a light cycle game similar to the actual one in the movie. You wouldn't be able to see everywhere you're going, but it would be pretty awesome.
 
I hope they're still doing a real game with retro game when that tron stuff comes out. Although I guess it'd be alright if the upgraded graphics version was a redo, like jetpac instead of TMNTs "upgrade"
 
QVT said:
I hope they're still doing a real game with retro game when that tron stuff comes out. Although I guess it'd be alright if the upgraded graphics version was a redo, like jetpac instead of TMNTs "upgrade"
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I have no idea what you just said! :lol

Shard said:
Is there a classic game out there that isn't being handled by Digital Eclipse?
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Well, um, Centipede/Millipede was by Stainless, wasn't it? That's something... It seems at least one publisher has caught on to DE's crappyness!
 
aku:jiki said:
I have no idea what you just said! :lol
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No one ever does. :lol Gaf is just my really big diary where I can never find my previous entry. I want the upgraded graphics in this to not suck. But I still do not want this. There.
 
aku:jiki said:
I have no idea what you just said! :lol

Well, um, Centipede/Millipede was by Stainless, wasn't it? That's something... It seems at least one publisher has caught on to DE's crappyness!
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I only played the demo...but I gotta say that Stainless's C/M had a way better front end than any of the DE titles!

It was slick n' sexy! Animated well, 60fps, looked clean...really well done!
 
Shard said:
Is there a classic game out there that isn't being handled by Digital Eclipse?

By the way, here is a Discs of Tron screenshot.

http://mms.businesswire.com/bwapps/mediaserver/ViewMedia?mgid=94571&vid=5

It is a high-res one, so I thought it best to use an indirect link.
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Digital Eclipse can suck my ***. I'm playing SotN right now, and when I'm a bat, I'll lose the ability to shoot fireballs, change back to human form at random, or even just freeze in place. When I went to fight
Belmont
I couldn't even fly up to his room as a bat, because I'd change forms and fall to the bottom of the screen or I'd just get stuck, flapping in place in the air. And I checked; it's not my controller, it's the programming.

It's like a Bluetooth connection that's only for the bat. So yeah, screw DE.
 
Captain Glanton said:
Digital Eclipse can suck my ***. I'm playing SotN right now, and when I'm a bat, I'll lose the ability to shoot fireballs, change back to human form at random, or even just freeze in place. When I went to fight
Belmont
I couldn't even fly up to his room as a bat, because I'd change forms and fall to the bottom of the screen or I'd just get stuck, flapping in place in the air. And I checked; it's not my controller, it's the programming.
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Um, sounds to me like you're running out of mana more than anything else...
 
aku:jiki said:
Um, sounds to me like you're running out of mana more than anything else...
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So if you're low on mana, the bat will stop flying left and right and will only move up and down?

Okay, maybe I should blame crap game design rather than conversion. Thanks.
 
Shard said:
Review Round-up, Gamespot reviews Catan and Centipede and Millipede.

Catan
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/puzzle/catan/review.html?sid=6170049

Centipede and Millipede (Warning: Jeff Gerstmann review, brace for any and all incoming wrongness.)
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/centipedemillipede/review.html?sid=6170044
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I'm not a big fan of Centipede/Milipede, especially without a trackball, but I gotta give credit where credit is due. For an old arcade game on XBLA they did a pretty good job with it. At least you could tell they put some sort of effort in giving it an update unlike most of the other arcade classics on the service.
 
Captain Glanton said:
So if you're low on mana, the bat will stop flying left and right and will only move up and down?

Okay, maybe I should blame crap game design rather than conversion. Thanks.
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No, it shouldn't do that. Still sounds like it's your controller, though. I mean, nobody else seems to have run into this. I had no problems running through the game on XBLA at all, for instance.

That's not to say that DE don't suck, but let's be fair.
 
Ummm, Just to clear a couple things up:

Digital Eclipse is part of the Foundation 9 "Family"
Backbone (Emeryville, Vancouver and Charlettetown) are also part of Foundation 9

It seems like the differences are similar to the different studios of Rockstar (in terms of that they are part of the same company, obviously not in terms of quality).

The specific studio that are doing the Tron games is Backbone Charlettetown who last worked on SOTN.

Hope this clears it up a bit.
 
Did Jeff play Centipede at all?

I bought it last night and loved it. I was an avid Centipede player in the arcades and while I miss the trackball, it's still a fun game. Don't know what the hell Jeff was smoking.
 
xblarcade said:
Ummm, Just to clear a couple things up:

Digital Eclipse is part of the Foundation 9 "Family"
Backbone (Emeryville, Vancouver and Charlettetown) are also part of Foundation 9

It seems like the differences are similar to the different studios of Rockstar (in terms of that they are part of the same company, obviously not in terms of quality).

The specific studio that are doing the Tron games is Backbone Charlettetown who last worked on SOTN.

Hope this clears it up a bit.
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Backbone is Digital Eclipse, has been even before Foundation 9.

Interestingly enough Backbone Charlettetown is the specific division being cited as the devloper of the Tron games here.
 
JdFoX187 said:
Did Jeff play Centipede at all?

I bought it last night and loved it. I was an avid Centipede player in the arcades and while I miss the trackball, it's still a fun game. Don't know what the hell Jeff was smoking.
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This is not the first time this question has come up, hence my statement.
 
JdFoX187 said:
Did Jeff play Centipede at all?

I bought it last night and loved it. I was an avid Centipede player in the arcades and while I miss the trackball, it's still a fun game. Don't know what the hell Jeff was smoking.
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I don't think it's fair criticism to insult a game for not having a trackball. Yes, Centipede is at its best with its original controller, but that is a luxury console owners cannot experience. You can't mark a fighting game down simply because the X360 doesn't have six face buttons and you can't mark down a racing game because the controller isn't a racing wheel. Centipede controls well enough with the stick that people shouldn't be concerned about the loss of the trackball.
 
Gigglepoo said:
I don't think it's fair criticism to insult a game for not having a trackball. Yes, Centipede is at its best with its original controller, but that is a luxury console owners cannot experience. You can't mark a fighting game down simply because the X360 doesn't have six face buttons and you can't mark down a racing game because the controller isn't a racing wheel. Centipede controls well enough with the stick that people shouldn't be concerned about the loss of the trackball.
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Didn't reviews knock the GameCube versions of games (Tony Hawk, SSX) because the lack of buttons required some moves to be cut? I'm just curious if there is or isn't precedence for this kind of thing. When grading control I think it would be a valid concern. As long as you know what you are getting into I don't see a problem with it. That said, I think it controls fine so it shouldn't be an issue.

With a $5 game, not to mention the free demo, why does anyone even bother with reviews? I prefer the little "worth it/not worth it" things I've seen in EGM and other sites when it comes to these.
 
pooteeweet said:
Don't know if this was confirmed before, but this is the first I've ssen it:

Speedball 2 to come to XBLA
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DOUBLE DRAGON NEXT WEDNESDAY CONFIRMED IN THAT ARTICLE.

"``This is another example of Empire updating a classic IP and bringing it to a brand new audience. Double Dragon will launch next Wednesday, and will be our first foray onto Xbox LIVE Arcade. Our announcement of Speedball 2 demonstrates our continued intention to bring high quality classic titles to a broader market,'' said Clive Kabatznik, CEO of Silverstar Holdings."
 
pooteeweet said:
Don't know if this was confirmed before, but this is the first I've ssen it:

Speedball 2 to come to XBLA
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OMG

Double Dragon will launch next Wednesday, and will be our first foray onto Xbox LIVE Arcade. Our announcement of Speedball 2 demonstrates our continued intention to bring high quality classic titles to a broader market,'' said Clive Kabatznik, CEO of Silverstar Holdings.


rolling thunder ?
 
QVT said:
DOUBLE DRAGON NEXT WEDNESDAY CONFIRMED IN THAT ARTICLE.

"``This is another example of Empire updating a classic IP and bringing it to a brand new audience. Double Dragon will launch next Wednesday, and will be our first foray onto Xbox LIVE Arcade. Our announcement of Speedball 2 demonstrates our continued intention to bring high quality classic titles to a broader market,'' said Clive Kabatznik, CEO of Silverstar Holdings."
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LOL. I really should read the whole article. This might warrant its own thread.
 
Beavertown said:
Is there an ETA for Band of Bugs?
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No. It was on that whole "these next 10 games are a total lock!" list from earlier this year...you know, the one where half of the games on the list weren't locked down at all, including Band of Bugs.

It's probably included in their "rolling thunder" thing they've got going now, though, I assume. Can't wait!
 
I don't know if it's actually anything, but "SPYGLASS BOARD GAMES" popped up on the Aussie OFLC, which Microsoft applied for. It's not on the ESRB or the PEGI, but it might be something to look out for.
 
aku:jiki said:
No. It was on that whole "these next 10 games are a total lock!" list from earlier this year...you know, the one where half of the games on the list weren't locked down at all, including Band of Bugs.

It's probably included in their "rolling thunder" thing they've got going now, though, I assume. Can't wait!
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Considering the information that is flowing out about Band of Bugs, it will probably be next week, certainly this month.

Also: Review Round Up: IGN on Centipede and Millipede.
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/785/785500p1.html
 
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