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 TURNING POINT: FALL OF LIBERTY DEMO NOW AVAILABLE

A demo of Codemasters' Turning Point: Fall of Liberty for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 1.24GB.

Please note: As of late November 2007, it appears that Microsoft has re-instituted the one week wait before free content becomes available to Xbox Live Silver members. As such, if you're not an Xbox Live Gold member, this demo most likely won't be available for download until sometime next week.

• Turning Point: Fall of Liberty – Official website

XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – TEMPEST & SENSIBLE WORLD OF SOCCER

Xbox Live Arcade swings for the fences this week as two highly anticipated titles make their way to the Xbox Live Marketplace. It's a double feature of epic proportions as both Tempest and Sensible World of Soccer prepare to thrill (and possibly disappoint) gamers around the world.

First up, we'll talk about Atari's Tempest. If I recall correctly, Tempest was born of a nightmare designer David Theurer had one night and turned out to be a dream come true for arcade players everywhere. The game's premise is fairly simple – you control a ship that travels along the edge of various segmented 3D geometric configurations. Enemies appear at the far end of each configuration and travel towards your ship at the top – naturally, your job is to stop them before they get there or avoid them. As with most games from the era, you also have a limited supply of smart bombs for when things get a little too hectic.

Fast, addictive gameplay is what Tempest is all about – and I really hope that Stainless Games doesn't do their usual botch job on the "enhanced version" of this one. Tempest deserves better – as do most of the classic Atari XBLA games.

Title: Tempest
Developer: Stainless Games
Publisher: Atari
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 12/19/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E – (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Tempest® is one of the most well-known arcade games of all time, a true classic in the realm of video games. This intense shooter requires lots of skill and lightning-quick reflexes. Use unlimited firepower to shoot and destroy enemies in a large geometric battlefield.

Download the full version to play this classic arcade game in its original form and completely re-stylized versions featuring evolved graphics and newly introduced Throttle Monkey™ mode.

• Next-gen presentation: The game supports 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios, including HDTV, with full-screen anti-aliasing and Dolby Digital surround sound.
• Arcade integration: Check top scores on the Leaderboards and master 12 challenging Achievements." – Xbox.com

Of course, our friends from across the ocean are a bit more thrilled about the second of this week's Live Arcade releases – Sensible World of Soccer. Now while I certainly wonder how it is that gamers from countries where soccer is known as football (something that seems to be a bit of a sore point too, mind you) would embrace a game that called itself soccer, there really doesn't seem to be any question that swos has a serious following. I don't doubt that Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb is thrilled to be getting this one into the Arcade so he can stop hearing about it from fans in the comments section of every new XBLA announcement.

Needless to say, this one is a soccer game (that's right – it's soccer!) – and supposedly a really good classic version of it. I've never played swos and It may not be for everyone, but it's reputation alone says you should at least give the demo a try.

Title: Sensible World of Soccer
Developer: Kuju Sheffield
Publisher: Codemasters Online
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 12/19/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Sensible World of Soccer™ is the classic nineties soccer game reborn with enhanced graphics! Play against your friends online in this fantastic pick up and play soccer extravaganza. Experience all the excitement of a full season or enter into a quick game against your friends.

Want to be more hands-on? Manage your team over a full season with a fully immersive tactics editor to put yourself in control on the way to the title.

• Online play: Take on your friends online in this fun, fast-paced soccer game.
• Updated for Xbox LIVE Arcade: Play a fully updated Arcade version of this classic game.
• Classic and Enhanced modes: Play online with the graphics you remember, or with the new enhanced HD visuals.
• Retro experience: Utilizing the original '96/'97 code, widely recognized to be the best incarnation of the SWOS series, we are able to deliver an authentic, retro playing experience.
• Influential game: SWOS is one of the ten most influential games of all time. Play the only version that lets you experience both classic SWOS and modern enhanced SWOS." – Xbox.com

As for last week's Live Arcade titles, there's not much to say. I expected big things from Arkadian Warriors, but the game (or at least the demo) just never seemed to deliver. While Arkadian Warriors does indeed play quite a bit like Diablo, it never really captures the same feel. I don't know if it's the cutesy characters, the easy battles or just the way the game presents itself (it often comes across with a very generic RPG vibe), but the game never truly grabbed my attention. I certainly wouldn't call it a bad game, and much like Exit, I do plan on going back and seeing if maybe I'd like it a little more if I was in a different mood. Arkadian Warriors is certainly one you'll need to try for yourself.

The other new Xbox Live Arcade en
trant last week was GripShift, a game that I still have not had the opportunity to really sit down and play – probably because of the fact that I wasn't exactly thrilled with I tried it for the PlayStation 3. I'm going to suggest you try this one first as well – and really, that is always the best advice for Xbox Live Arcade titles – that's why the demos are there.

PLAYSTATION 3 CLIVE BARKER’S JERICHO DEMO NOW AVAILABLE

A demo of Codemasters Clive Barker’s Jericho for the PlayStation 3 is now available for download via the PlayStation Store. Download size is approximately 821MB.

• Clive Barker’s Jericho – Official website

XBOX 360 CLIVE BARKER’S JERICHO DEMO NOW AVAILABLE

A demo of Codemasters Clive Barker’s Jericho for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions except Germany and Asia via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Approximate file size is 885.17MB.

• Clive Barker’s Jericho – Official website

PLAYSTATION 3 DIRT DEMO NOW AVAILABLE

An PlayStation 3 demo of DiRT is now available for download via the PlayStation Store. Download size is approximately 553MB.

• DiRT – Official website