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XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – STREETS OF RAGE 2

I guess the folks at Microsoft decided to sneak a second Xbox Live Arcade game in at the last moment… The classic Sega Genesis brawler Streets of Rage 2 has made it’s Xbox 360 debut – with online co-op play.

While I may not have been that excited about Super Puzzle Fighter II, this is one game that I’ll most assuredly be grabbing – so long as it was emulated properly. The game plays in much the same fashion as Capcom’s Final Fight as you take the role of one of four characters who must fight their way through a city gone bad in search of a kidnapped friend. This one is definitely a classic, so I’d at least suggest you download the demo and give it a whirl.

One word of caution: word around the old internet water-cooler is that there are some issues with co-op play over Live right now. If that feature is a deciding factor in your purchase decision, you may want to hold off and make sure the game gets patched before you buy it.

Title: Streets of Rage 2
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Sega of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/29/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Violence
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"The classic arcade fighting game Streets of Rage 2™ comes to Xbox LIVE® Arcade. Play as Blaze, Skate, Max, or Axel as you attempt to save Adam from the evil clutches of Dr. X. Special fighting moves for characters and unique weapons add to the excitement as you fight your way to the Syndicate’s stronghold.

  • Classic arcade fighting action: Each character has special abilities. Learn to use their moves to defeat the enemies and the bosses.
  • Unique weapons: Katanas, shuriken, knives, and more are available for the player. Weapons can even be thrown for ranged damage.
  • Stellar soundtrack: The music for the arcade version of Streets of Rage 2 by Yuzo Koshiro is widely considered as some of the finest music ever made for an arcade game.
  • Achievements: All new achievements to master and improve your Gamerscore. Control the Streets of Rage!" - Xbox.com

Now if only someone would tell Microsoft’s marketing group that Streets of Rage 2 was never released in the arcades.

August 29, 2007 Posted by nylatenite | Fighting, Sega, Sega Genesis, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade | | No Comments Yet

XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – SUPER PUZZLE FIGHTER II TURBO REMIX HD

This week only sees one Xbox Live Arcade release, but it’s one of the games that many people have been waiting for – Capcom’s Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo Remix HD has arrived in the Xbox Live Arcade with several new features to set it apart from it’s predecessors and an 800 Microsoft point ($10) price tag.

I’ve never been a fan of the Puzzle Fighter series, so I really don’t have much enthusiasm for this release, but I’m sure the series has enough fans who are willing to shell out ten dollars for the game. For those unfamiliar with the series, it’s a cross between a puzzle game and a fighter. Players use different combinations of gems to perform attack moves against their opponents. It’s by far more interesting than your standard puzzler, but it’s no Puzzle Quest if that’s they type of experience you’re expecting.

Title: Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/29/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Violence
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"One of the most popular puzzle games of all time is back with high-definition graphics, dazzling elemental effects and a new rebalanced X’ game mode! Super Puzzle Fighter™ II Turbo HD Remix brings together Capcom’s coolest fighting characters to provide extremely addictive puzzle mayhem. Enjoy single-player, local and online versus play, and spectator modes!

  • Classic arcade play: The game features all the classic elements from the original arcade game, including traditional X Mode. Think fast on your feet as gems fall into your character’s playfield. Don’t let the stack get too high.
  • New X’ Mode: The new X’ Mode has been rebalanced with adjusted drop patterns and damage to level the playing field.
  • Y and Z Modes: Y Mode challenges players to connect three or more gems horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Z Mode has you group four adjacent gems and rotate them to join to other same-colored gems.
  • Stunning new graphics: Beautifully detailed high-definition backgrounds and character art come from the talented artists of Udon Comics.
  • New elemental effects: Gems and Crash Gems interact with dazzling new effects.
  • Hidden characters: There’s Akuma, Dan, and more.
  • Online play: Get online with Xbox LIVE® and challenge other players to Ranked and Player Matches. Follow your progress on the leaderboards, and try to score the twelve all-new achievements!" - Xbox.com

While I passed on Street Trace: NYC last week, I did pick up Space Giraffe. The best way to look at Space Giraffe is to consider it an advanced version of Tempest mixed with some form of hallucinogen. It’s the type of game you definitely need to play a few times to get a feel for and I’d highly suggest you try the demo to see whether it’s going to be the kind of game you’ll enjoy.

The biggest criticism I have of the title is that the backgrounds tend to be a bit too over the top and detract from the gameplay experience a bit. It would have been a nice addition to the title if the ability to turn off or tone down the backgrounds had been included. Regardless, odds are that if you’re a huge Tempest fan, you’ll get a real kick out of Space Giraffe.

August 29, 2007 Posted by nylatenite | Arcade, Capcom, Fighting, Puzzle, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade | | No Comments Yet

LAZY DAY TRAILERS: HEAVENLY SWORD: LEGEND OF THE SWORD – PART FOUR

The fourth installment in Sony’s animated Heavenly Sword series has been released and it looks like the story is rapidly catching up to present day. Unless there’s a major plot twist about to happen, we now get to see the birth of Nariko – and some early signs of how her arrival was taken by her clan. Here’s a hint – not good.

Those of you looking to play catch-up with the series should check out the below videos in their proper order. We’ll continue posting each episode as they’re made available, so stay tuned.

August 29, 2007 Posted by nylatenite | Heavenly Sword, Lazy Day Trailers, Ninja Theory, PlayStation 3, Sony, Video | | No Comments Yet

BIOSHOCK BIG DADDY BROKEN FIGURINE SUPPORT WEBSITE NOW OPEN

Last week we told you about an issue where many of the figurines included with the collector’s edition of BioShock had been damaged in shipment and that because of this, 2K Games would be setting up a website where consumers could request a replacement figurine from the company and get a printed version of the previously downloadable only “Breaking the Mold” art book for their troubles.

That site is now active, so if your Big Daddy arrived in less than pristine condition, now is the time to go about letting them know. Full instructions for the return process are included on the site – with the exception of what carrier they use for the return.

August 29, 2007 Posted by nylatenite | 2K Games, Bioshock, Customer Service, FPS, PC Games, Xbox 360 | | No Comments Yet

XBOX 360 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 08 DEMO NOW AVAILABLE

A demo of Electronic Arts Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions except Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico and New Zealand via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 733MB.

August 29, 2007 Posted by nylatenite | Demo, Electronic Arts, Sports, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace | | No Comments Yet

XBOX 360 GHOST RECON ADVANCED WARFIGHTER 2 THROWBACK PACK FREE

Looks like Ubisoft is trying to bring the Xbox 360 version of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 up to par with it’s just released PlayStation 3 sibling. Last week they made the original Throwback Pack a free download and have now released a second Throwback Pack as a free download.

"GRAW2 Throwback Pack 2 consists of 7 classic maps from Ghost Recon’s illustrious history. In addition to the 7 maps, there is a new game mode called Co-op Exfiltration. All of these maps have upgraded visuals and support all of GRAW2’s thousands of customizable game modes." - GRAW 2 Throwback Pack 2 dashboard description

Pretty nifty indeed – remember, free is always good.

August 29, 2007 Posted by nylatenite | Downloadable Content, Free Stuff, Ghost Recon, Tom Clancy, Ubisoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace | | No Comments Yet