With the latest ESRB update came an odd addition: Rocketmen: It came from Uranus. With the up and down of the reviews it seems a little early to start thinking of a sequel. It might just end up being an expansion for the original game.

It's all up in the air at the moment - it wasn't even announced at Capcom Digital Day - so we might hear something about it once everything else Capcom is releasing dies down a tad.

Source: ESRB

With the announcement of 1942: Joint Strike coming to the Xbox Live Arcade, some younger readers may not even know of this classic Capcom franchise that essentially launched Capcom into the giant they are today.

IGN have written a nice and neat look back at the original 1942 and the several sequels based around the same era. Don't confuse 1942 with the bizarre and crazy selection of 1945 Strikers titles where blimps can turn into giant Robots!

Check it out below.

Source: Retro @ IGN: From 1942 to Beyond

What is XBLAH BLAH BLAH?

One thing missing from this blog is my own thoughts on XBLA games. I hadn't really been thinking about it - I post links to other reviews anyway, what else could I possibly add to that?

Instead, I'll do something different - a feedback or a critical analysis of sorts. A list of what I thought were really great, and some either bad or even just nitpicky - to help the developers on the little things. Instead of an arbitrary score I'll post my final thoughts on the overall product.

What's good about Triggerheart Excelica?

- It's a decent Shmup to add to the XBLA lineup.

- The grapple ability - where you shoot out an anchor onto an enemy and fling them around - is a lot of fun, and trying to use it to your advantage by bouncing enemy fire off and getting more 'gold' works really well.

- Flinging your grappled enemy or debris into oncoming enemies is awesome and brings in some extra strategy that isn't grabbing different weapon power ups.

- Levels 4 and 5 are the best levels of the lot with a lot of interesting enemy formations to wade yourself through.

How could Triggerheart Excelica have improved?

- Despite being in HD, it just looks like it's been filtered up to the resolution. The small text that appears during the game can barely be read on a 720p screen. It's really only readable when in TATE mode! That's a pretty big oversight.

- The game is incredibly short, like 20-30 minutes for completion. It's over very quickly with little to go back to other than playing with the other character. The Boss System which gets easier if you're playing bad works against the game since it doesn't really make you want to play the game better.

- I realise this game was originally made on the Dreamcast and merely ported to XBLA - but some sort of Cooperative mode being added would have made the game a whole lot more interesting, even if it doesn't make sense to the 'storyline'.

- The Leaderboards are poorly implemented - they just keeping track of the top 100 players rather than everyone. That doesn't work well with the Xbox Leaderboard style - not even your own best time or kept, or your friends, so you can't compare unless you're all in the top 100! While on Leaderboards, separate ones for each level would have been sublime in a separate mode - but no, it's completely ignored.

Final Thoughts

The original game was considered a very average shooter, and nothing has really changed. It's a damn shame that Warashi didn't go that extra mile and include a ton of leaderboards because the way they've done it is just really broken.

Okay you crazy Wikipedia addicts, let's try and get up to date with everything that's coming out.

Now, there are a LOT of games that have been announced as, supposedly, a spring release. It does sounds very much like it's being front loaded (Commando 3 was originally announced as a December release) so who knows when they'll come out.

Right now there is a lot of quality games coming out which all sound great. The most worrying bit though is that a lot of them rely on online multiplayer (Commando 3, Vigilante 8, Castle Crashers in the Summer) which, as we've seen in other XBLA games - dies off very quickly. Let's hope they can overcome this problem. Here is the list:

Games said to be coming in Spring

Assault Heroes 2 [Source]
Bionic Commando Rearmed [Source]
Braid [Source]
Commando 3 [Source]
Elements of Destruction [Source]
Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm (April) [Source]
Mr. Driller Online [Source]
Pirates Vs. Ninjas Dodgeball [Source]
RooGoo [Source]
Rocket Bowl [Source]
Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix [Source]
Shred Nebula [Source]
Peggle [Source]
Vigilante 8 Arcade [Source]

Games said to be coming out in Summer

Castle Crashers [Source]
Plunder [Source]
1942: Joint Strike [Source]
Go! Go! Break, Steady [Source]
Defense Grid: The Awakening [Source]
Penny Arcade Adventures [Source]

Games that could just suddenly pop out any day...

Aces of the Galaxy (Last was "Winter" [Source] )
Buku Sudoku [Source] (Spring 2007)
War World (Was Late Summer Last year)
Rocky & Bullwinkle (Holiday Season 2007)
Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown
Battlezone
Ikaruga
Shotest Shogi
Warlords

No idea when they're coming out

Axiom Overdrive
Airburst
The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai
Duke Nukem 3D
Ender's Game: Battle Room
Gridrunner+++
Hoopworld
Quake Arena Arcade
Rocket Riot
Schizoid
Sea Life Safari
Sentient
War Angels
Basement Pool
Keystone
Fractal Jigsaw
Lost Cities
Magic: The Gathering
Talisman
Frogger 2
Lode Runner
Red Baron
Samurai Showdown II
Pipe Mania
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix
Kart Attack
Things on Wheels
Double D Dodgeball

Good stuff - can't wait. I wonder what'll be announced tomorrow?

Source: List of XBLA games on Wikipedia, Google

This week is nothing new! Those poor people are waiting for Ikaruga and this is what you do!?

Kidding - DOOM and Assault Heroes are both great games, and with the upcoming sequel to AH this is probably the best thing to do for the original. Maybe Mutant Storm should follow suit?

“Assault Heroes” (Sierra Online). Become the only surviving member of an elite special forces unit searching for a secret underground lab. Play the mission alone or fight side-by-side with a friend in the two-player cooperative mode. The winner of IGN’s Xbox LIVE Arcade game of the year for 2006, “Assault Heroes” will be available for 400 Microsoft Points.

“DOOM” (id Software). Originally released in 1993, “DOOM” introduced millions to the white-knuckle excitement of the first-person shooter (FPS). Relive the classic demon-blasting action with up to four players over Xbox LIVE*, complete with 5.1 surround sound and smoother graphics. “Doom” will be available for 400 Microsoft Points.

The new Game|Life show has some.. well, awkward footage of people from the Capcom Digital Day! Commando 3, 1942, Bionic Commando, Plunder and 1942 are all represented, go have a look!

Source: Game|Life The Video, #6: Capcom's Digital Day

Along with the news about the 400 Point DOOM and Assault Heroes (which are up right now! Go check them out!) They also released new images of 4 upcoming games - some which had not actually been announced yet (TiQal) and others that have had very minimal limelight (Wits & Wagers, Shotest Shogi). There are a huge amount of images - 20-80 images each! So check them out.

“Rocky and Bullwinkle” (Zen Studios Ltd.). And now, here’s something you’ll really like! Based on the highly popular cartoon series of the same name, “Rocky and Bullwinkle” on Xbox LIVE Arcade is a fast and fun party experience packed with over 100 micro-games and decked out in an authentic retro art style. All your favorite characters are coming straight out of Frostbite Falls and into your living room: Rocky, Bullwinkle, Boris, Natasha, Dudley Do-Right and many more. Plus, players with an Xbox LIVE Vision camera can control 25 of these games using fun gestures. Gee whiz, Rock!

“Shotest Shogi” (AI Factory Ltd. and Rubicon Development Ltd.). Experience a new kind of shogi, Japan’s top board game, which encourages complex tactical play and strategic sacrifices. Set in an elegant Japanese room, this beautifully rendered game features 16 challenging artificial intelligence opponents as well as an online multiplayer mode*. For beginners, “Shotest Shogi” on Xbox LIVE Arcade also offers an advanced tutorial that guides and tests players as they progress through the game.

“TiQal” (Slapdash Games). An addictive new puzzler, “TiQal” takes players on an epic journey to save an ancient Mayan village. Players demolish enemy block walls by matching squares of the same color and building them up to unleash massive combo points and mind-blowing power-ups. Partner with a friend over local or LIVE* co-op play to rescue the village, while enjoying sumptuous graphics, pulse-pounding sound effects and an awe-inspiring musical score.

“Wits & Wagers” (Hidden Path Entertainment LLC). Party and trivia fun! Even if trivia isn’t your thing, the first trivia and party game to hit Xbox LIVE Arcade is one in which players can win by making educated guesses, playing the odds or just knowing the interests of other players, whether they are local or online. Break out the Big Button Pad controllers or play couch vs. couch on Xbox LIVE for a trivia party extravaganza.

Bionic Commando Podcast chats about the new videos that were released this week of the top down view and the official Bionic Commando Rearmed price (which is $10US). They also announce that.. there will be another announcement NEXT week about yet another new mode in Bionic Commando Rearmed!

Top Secret File 011: Kris Zimmerman, Voice Director, & Chip Beaman, Voiceover Manager: Top Secret goes on location at the voice recording session of Bionic Commando in Hollywood, California, as we talk to Soundelux VO manager Chip Beaman, and the Voice Director of Bionic Commando, Kris Zimmerman. We find out what it takes to make a game sound great, and explore the mixed past of Capcom voiceovers.

We're all over the map this week: opening the reader mailbag, announcing the winners of the EGM Smash Bros. cover contest, reporting on Capcom's upcoming batch of download games, and enjoying the first week of Smash Brawl.

Show #272: Battlefield: Bad Company, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and Peter Molyneux

Co-host : e
Interview: Karl-Magnus, Battlefield: Bad Company (15:47–27:54)
Interview: Philippe Therien, Rainbow Six Vegas (27:55–42:54)
Interview: Peter Molyneux, Fable 2 (42:56–1:21:55)
Name the game
and more...

Infinite Interactive have announced that the XBLA version of Puzzle Quest will get an exclusive expansion to the game!

The expansion pack will offer fans hours of additional gameplay with four brand new Hero professions: Bard, Rogue, Ranger and Warlock. Players will adventure with new or existing Heroes to explore an expansive new area on the Southern Map containing more than 25 challenging quests, cast more than 50 new spells and collect more than 40 new magical items as they're immersed into the compelling story of Antharg, the Lord of Plague and brother to the infamous Lord Bane. New monsters, bosses and more will challenge veteran and casual fans alike for hours of compelling entertainment.

All major rating websites have been updated with a slew of new ratings of upcoming games, lets have a look!
First, the OFLC for Australia Classification. Double D Dodgeball - which popped up on the USK a week or so back - still no official word or announcement of the game though.

The second game - Block Breaker Deluxe - is pure speculation. It's a game made by GameLoft for Mobile Phones, iPods as well as PC, and is essentially a clone of Breakout or Arkanoid. However, it hasn't been rated before this, and I don't believe iPod or Mobile games have required ratings before either. At the same time, their previous game - Brain Challenge - at least mentioned Microsoft, while this one does not. Keep a look out though!


The USK has two new inclusions - Penny Arcade Episode 1 (I doubt "On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness" worked well in German) has been rated - the other is also up in the air - Golf: Tee it up! A game being published by Activision, I'm adding it here since I can't find ANY information about the game at all anywhere - which usually means something. We'll have to wait and see if it pops up anywhere else.



Lastly, the ESRB - They've now added Gin Rummy - previously mentioned here, and Lode Runner.

Source: USK, OFLC, ESRB

The Indie developer Little Bou Games - makers of the upcoming XBLA game Go! Go! Break Steady, havebeen updating their blog over the past few weeks since the Game Developer's Conference.

In the blog they've discussed how the game is going - some sketches of the characters you can play in the game, as well as other interesting facts, such as how they got their video for the ESRB rating set up, and how they got a tour around the 1up.com offices.

Check out the blog below.

Source: Little Boy Games Blog

Just asfter the last ratings update - the USK was updated again. Two games sowed up - the recently announced RooGoo, but one more which will certainly make some people very happy - Ticket To Ride!

Ticket to Ride is a very popular German-styled Board Game created by Alan R. Moon and published by Days of Wonder, where you must create train routes throughout the map and gain points by doing longer routes, and making your destination. Lets allow Wikipedia explain it:

At the beginning of the game, players are dealt a number of 'destination' cards showing a pair of cities on the map. These become goals, representing two end-points which players are secretly attempting to connect. Each turn, players collect 'railway car' cards in various colours (including wildcard 'Locomotive' cards), draw additional 'destination' cards, or use railway car cards to claim routes on a map of the United States (that also includes southern portions of Canada) and thereby earn points. The routes are of varying lengths (requiring varying numbers of matching coloured cards), and each discrete route marked on the board can be claimed by only a single player. Longer routes are worth progressively more points than shorter routes, e.g. a route of length four is worth more than two routes of length two.



The game ends when one player has exhausted or nearly exhausted his or her supply of coloured train pieces. When this occurs, every player then plays one additional turn, after which they each reveal his or her previously hidden 'destination' cards. Additional points are awarded for having successfully completed the routes on the cards, whereas points are subtracted for any incomplete routes. A ten point bonus is awarded to the player who has the longest continuously connected set of routes.

To my knowledge this was unannounced, but I went back to the game today to try and finish it and lo and behold - an update appeared!

The update seems to have done two things - It's fixed all the Leaderboards now - which were pretty much unviewable and would usually hang - and it seems to have fixed a lot - if not all - of the bugs related to screen tearing! Awesome!

If you never got around to buying the game - which you SHOULD because it's one of the best games on XBLA - or were put off by the screen tearing - definitely go have a look back at it. It's the best looking game on the service.

The Switchball website doesn't mention any update - and currently the Atomic Elbow website seems to be down, but it's there. Check it out now!

PS. Holy hell the final level of Switchball is so god damn hard. I spent 30 minutes on the final part of the level and just gave up. Will try again tomorrow.