XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – BLISS ISLAND & BRAIN CHALLENGE

Microsoft returns to the two-game formula for Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays with the release of Bliss Island and Brain Challenge. I'm not exactly feeling up to snuff at the moment, so I'll keep the game descriptions brief and let the demos for each game do the talking.

Looking at the somewhat brief description and photos provided for Bliss Island, I can only assume that it's some type of collection of mini-games, and in truth, the fact that Microsoft's marketing department couldn't come up with more to say about it strikes me as a bit of a bad omen. My advice to you is to definitely try the demo before paying 400 points ($5) on this one.

Title: Bliss Island
Developer: PomPom
Publisher:Codemasters Online
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 3/12/08
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Bliss Island is a fun and engaging pick-up-and-play game, and once you pick it up, you can't put it down! Delve into the world of Bliss Island and help Hoshi win a day off as you take on over 25 unique challenges, spread across nine crazy levels. Mastered single player mode? Challenge your friends online and see who really is the Bliss Island champion.

• Pick up and play: Experience more than 25 unique challenges across nine crazy levels.
• Play with friends: Jump into online multiplayer and challenge your friends online." – Xbox.com

Next up, we've got Brain Challenge, and as you've probably guessed, it's a knockoff of the whole Brain Age concept. Don't act so surprised, you had to know that one of these would be coming along eventually. If you've got a Nintendo DS, I'd say spend the money on a used copy of the original Brain Age (Don't settle for imitations!) instead of the 800 points ($10) being asked for this one – this way you too can get in on the "Blue…BLUE… BROOOOOO!" jokes.

Title: Brain Challenge
Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 3/12/08
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 / 2-4 online
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Get your brain in shape with fun daily exercises—these challenging and entertaining puzzles act like a vitamin boost for your brain. Brain Challenge™ is more than just a game, it's your personal coach for mental fitness!

Twenty different games in five categories (Memory, Visual, Logic, Math, and Focus) will train all areas of your brain. Keep track of your progress every day, and easily evaluate your level of brain activity. Brain Challenge is the easy and enjoyable way to keep your brain alert.

• Multiplayer fun: Challenge friends with four-player offline and online multiplayer modes.
• Game variety: Thirty games are broken down into different categories—Memory, Visual, Logic, Math, and Focus.
• Training room: Play all the mini-games within each category freely.
• Creative mode: Relax by exploring your brain's creative abilities through five games.
• Stress mode: Test your abilities under stressful conditions.
• Personal coach: Choose your favorite coach to accompany you through all your brain development steps and develop a unique relationship with him or her.
• Brain charts: View your overall performance and progression with detailed stats and graphs" – Xbox.com

As for last week's Live Arcade release, I never got a chance to try Rocketmen: Axis of Evil, so you're on your own! I'm going to go find a bed and collapse in it now. Enjoy!

XBOX 360 SCENE IT? LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION DEMO NOW AVAILABLE

A demo of Screenlife Games' Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions except Asia via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 619.00MB.

• Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action – Xbox.com

GEOMETRY WARS: RETRO EVOLVED RELEASED FOR WINDOWS VISTA

Ever since the first time I played Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved on the Xbox 360, I’ve been hoping that Microsoft would port the game over to Windows – specifically so I could run the game on my arcade machine and perhaps someday build a replica of the Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved machine seen in the player garages of Project Gotham Racing 3. When Microsoft announced that Bizarre Creations was working on a PC version of the game a few months back, I was damn near overjoyed – it looked like my hopes were about to become reality.

Well, consider those hopes dashed – at least for the foreseeable future. Microsoft has indeed made Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved available on the PC, but unfortunately it will only run under Windows Vista – which effectively kills any plans I had for running it on the arcade machine as I really don’t plan on upgrading it’s o/s anytime soon. Regardless, for those of you who don’t have an Xbox 360 and do happen to have Windows Vista, the arcade goodness that is Geometry Wars is now available to you for $7.95 plus tax at MSN Games – there’s even a free trial available for those of you who may not be willing to take my word about how great the game is.

Geometry Wars release is part of Microsoft’s new "Vista-Optimized Casual Games" series that debuted at MSN Games this week. I’ve taken the liberty of listing the full range of titles currently available below based on the information at Gamerscore Blog and MSN Games. Please remember that all of the titles listed require Windows Vista to run. You know, Looking at the prices listed, it appears Geometry Wars is being used as a lure to get people interested in the service, because if you ask me, all of the other titles seem wildly overpriced.

• Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
  
  • Remaining faithful to the gameplay that made this “Retro Evolved” shooter an Xbox 360 favorite, the Windows Vista-optimized version has players navigating their geometric ship through a retro grid world, facing off against waves of deadly spinners, snakes and repulsars. Combining mind-blowing 21st-century graphics and retro-arcade “Asteroids”-like gameplay, “Geometry Wars” is easy to play yet nearly impossible to master. Developed by Bizarre Creations Ltd. Price: $7.95
• Bliss Island
  • Enter the world of “Bliss Island,” mixing all the fun and addictive action of an arcade-style puzzler with the frenetic energy of pinball. Help the adorable, furry blue Hoshi the Zwooph compete in more than 90 mini-game challenges, all requiring player dexterity and skill. From guiding fruit into hungry mouths to blasting creatures through an obstacle course, players complete each challenge by navigating objects and creatures with small blasts of air delivered from Hoshi’s trunk. Developed by Codemasters Software Company Ltd. Price: $19.95
• Crystal Quest
  • In this action title, players must pilot their ship through 60 waves of frenzied action, collecting crystals and evading the ever present, out-to-get-you Nasties. These unique baddies spawn from portals on each side of the screen; firing the main gun or deploying a smart bomb quickly vaporizes every Nasty on the screen. Players must work quickly to grab all the crystals, opening the gateway that completes each level. Players can also gather up the goodies in each wave to grab bonus points, extra smart bombs and even an occasional mega-crystal for massive points. Developed by Codemasters Software Company Ltd. Price: $19.95
• Darwinia
  • Combining fast-paced action with strategic battle planning, “Darwinia” features intuitive gameplay and a graphical style ripped from ’80s retro classics such as “Tron” and “Defender.” It’s a game that can quickly turn a 10-minute game-playing break into an absorbing 10-hour experience. “Darwinia” has an easy-to-follow story line concerning a tribe of nomadic sprites trapped in a modern 3-D world who must be saved from the threat of extinction. The game’s addictive action is deceptively simple, providing endless entertainment for novices while challenging even the most seasoned battle strategist. Developed by Introversion Software. Price: $19.95
• Jewel Quest II
  • In the jewel-matching adventure “Jewel Quest II®,” players are immersed in the wilds of Africa as they solve more than 50 new puzzles to complete the “jewel quest.” Players must race against the clock as they rearrange precious relics to create columns or rows of three or more of the same type, turning tiles into gold as they advance through an increasingly challenging series of puzzles. As players progress, the playing fields also take on different shapes, making this puzzler a true visual adventure. Developed by iWin Inc. Price: $19.95
• LUXOR 2
  
  • The much anticipated sequel to the No. 1 casual game of 2005, “LUXOR 2” sets a new standard for action puzzlers. “LUXOR 2” takes players on a beautiful voyage through 88 all-new, gorgeously rendered levels set amid the scenery of ancient Egypt. Offering all the brain-teasing fun of the original and packing more explosive power-ups than ever before, “LUXOR 2” challenges players to control the mystical winged scarab to shoot and destroy the approaching magical spheres before they reach the pyramids at the end of their path. Developed by MumboJumbo. Price: $19.95
• Spinword
  
  • “Spinword” combines puzzles and arcade action in a fun word-making challenge. A mix of the best of “Scrabble,” “Tetris” and “Bejeweled,” “Spinword” challenges players with frenetic tests of vocabulary dexterity. The players’ goal is to make as many words as they can, as fast as they can. Words are created from a selection of letter cubes and must be at least three letters long and spelled left to right or top to bottom. “Spinword” offers more than 60 levels based on word, action and puzzle challenges. Developed by Slam Games. Price: $19.95

The funny part about all the titles listed above is that while I might actually pay $19.95 for Geometry Wars – the one title that isn’t $19.95, I would never pay that much for any of the other titles listed.

• Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved – Product page at MSN Games
• Geo Wars and other Windows Vista-optimized casual games launch on MSN Games – Gamerscore Blog
• MSN Games for Windows Vista – MSN Games