XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – PUZZLE QUEST: CHALLENGE OF THE WARLORDS & YARIS

Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays returns to the two-game format this week with the release of the ever-addictive Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords and Yaris, a free combat racing game sponsored by Toyota.

We’ll open with a look at Puzzle Quest, the game that has already taken the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP by storm. Puzzle Quest is a highly addictive mix of classic puzzle-game strategy with a heavy dose of RPG gameplay built in. As you can probably tell, I’m a big fan of this game and have spent more than a few hours playing it on the DS.

The gameplay premise itself is simple – the game presents a standard map-based RPG experience until the player becomes involved in combat. Once facing an enemy, the game switches to a puzzle grid where players take turns moving colored orbs around to create groups of three or more. Based on the color of the matched orbs, players will either do damage to their opponent or gain magic points related to the color that can be sued to cast spells or use special abilities. As you can imagine with an RPG, items and allies found during your adventures can help tip the balance in your favor for each fight.

The game is one of the higher priced Xbox Live Arcade releases, but at 1,200 points ($15) it’s actually the cheapest version of the game available on any system – and if you don’t already own it on another system, it’s one hell of a bargain.

Title: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Developer: Infinite Interactive
Publisher: D3 Publisher of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 1200 points ($15)
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Suggestive Themes
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords™ delivers, for the first time ever, classic puzzle-game action backed with an epic story of good versus evil. Challenge your puzzle skills in single-player campaign mode, or battle your friends in multiplayer action. Experience a puzzle game with role-playing elements. It’s like nothing you’ve played before.  

• Unique gameplay: Classic puzzle gameplay is enhanced with the addition of RPG-style character and story elements. The game is incredibly simple to learn for casual players, with seasoned gamers able to utilize deeper strategies.
• Quests: For the first-time ever in a puzzle game, embark on an epic single-player campaign comprising more than 150 challenging quests.
• Role-playing game elements: Create and build a persistent hero from one of four unique classes. Gain skills, spells, weapons, and more over the course of the game. Customize your characters to give them an advantage in battle.
• Battles and conquest: Build your empire as you capture cities, build castles and gain a party of companions that will aid you in battle. Battle other warlords for supremacy in multiplayer mode." – Xbox.com

Next up, we’ve got Yaris, a free combat racer where players can battle it out across eight different tracks… oh hell, let’s face it – this one is an advergame from the folks over at Toyota. I really don’t have high hopes for it at all, and the best thing I can find to say about it is that it’s free. Free is always good.

Title: Yaris
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: Free
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Cartoon Violence

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Hop into a Toyota Yaris and drive it on crazy tracks loaded with stubborn obstacles, cool powerups, and intense enemy action. The relentlessly twisted courses in Yaris might have loops or even be tube-shaped, but the Yaris never has to worry about sliding off track, as it defies gravity by scaling side-walls and going all topsy-turvy. Equip your Yaris with an arsenal of weapons to take out your adversaries, but be careful to avoid enemy fire, because once your shields are depleted, so is the game.

• Customizable cars: Drive either a Yaris Sedan, Sports Sedan, or the Liftback. Collect coins on the track and outfit your Yaris with weapons, shields, and tire configurations.
• Game modes: Race and take out your enemies in either single player or player vs. player game mode.
• Wild tracks: Drive on eight different tracks of progressive difficulty.
• FREE download: Yaris is a free Xbox LIVE® Arcade game. Play it today.
• Gallery feature: Browse through the game’s cast of characters, including all the Yaris cars.
• Twelve new achievements and new Leaderboard: Twelve new achievements to unlock, and a new Xbox LIVE® Arcade leaderboard for you to dominate. Get in your Yaris and drive!" – Xbox.com

As for last week’s Live Arcade release, Tetris Splash, as expected it was… well, Tetris. There’s really not much else to say about that, now is there?

XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – PUZZLE QUEST: CHALLENGE OF THE WARLORDS & YARIS

Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays returns to the two-game format this week with the release of the ever-addictive Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords and Yaris, a free combat racing game sponsored by Toyota.

We’ll open with a look at Puzzle Quest, the game that has already taken the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP by storm. Puzzle Quest is a highly addictive mix of classic puzzle-game strategy with a heavy dose of RPG gameplay built in. As you can probably tell, I’m a big fan of this game and have spent more than a few hours playing it on the DS.

The gameplay premise itself is simple – the game presents a standard map-based RPG experience until the player becomes involved in combat. Once facing an enemy, the game switches to a puzzle grid where players take turns moving colored orbs around to create groups of three or more. Based on the color of the matched orbs, players will either do damage to their opponent or gain magic points related to the color that can be sued to cast spells or use special abilities. As you can imagine with an RPG, items and allies found during your adventures can help tip the balance in your favor for each fight.

The game is one of the higher priced Xbox Live Arcade releases, but at 1,200 points ($15) it’s actually the cheapest version of the game available on any system – and if you don’t already own it on another system, it’s one hell of a bargain.

Title: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Developer: Infinite Interactive
Publisher: D3 Publisher of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 1200 points ($15)
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Suggestive Themes
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords™ delivers, for the first time ever, classic puzzle-game action backed with an epic story of good versus evil. Challenge your puzzle skills in single-player campaign mode, or battle your friends in multiplayer action. Experience a puzzle game with role-playing elements. It’s like nothing you’ve played before.  

• Unique gameplay: Classic puzzle gameplay is enhanced with the addition of RPG-style character and story elements. The game is incredibly simple to learn for casual players, with seasoned gamers able to utilize deeper strategies.
• Quests: For the first-time ever in a puzzle game, embark on an epic single-player campaign comprising more than 150 challenging quests.
• Role-playing game elements: Create and build a persistent hero from one of four unique classes. Gain skills, spells, weapons, and more over the course of the game. Customize your characters to give them an advantage in battle.
• Battles and conquest: Build your empire as you capture cities, build castles and gain a party of companions that will aid you in battle. Battle other warlords for supremacy in multiplayer mode." – Xbox.com

Next up, we’ve got Yaris, a free combat racer where players can battle it out across eight different tracks… oh hell, let’s face it – this one is an advergame from the folks over at Toyota. I really don’t have high hopes for it at all, and the best thing I can find to say about it is that it’s free. Free is always good.

Title: Yaris
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: Free
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Cartoon Violence

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Hop into a Toyota Yaris and drive it on crazy tracks loaded with stubborn obstacles, cool powerups, and intense enemy action. The relentlessly twisted courses in Yaris might have loops or even be tube-shaped, but the Yaris never has to worry about sliding off track, as it defies gravity by scaling side-walls and going all topsy-turvy. Equip your Yaris with an arsenal of weapons to take out your adversaries, but be careful to avoid enemy fire, because once your shields are depleted, so is the game.

• Customizable cars: Drive either a Yaris Sedan, Sports Sedan, or the Liftback. Collect coins on the track and outfit your Yaris with weapons, shields, and tire configurations.
• Game modes: Race and take out your enemies in either single player or player vs. player game mode.
• Wild tracks: Drive on eight different tracks of progressive difficulty.
• FREE download: Yaris is a free Xbox LIVE® Arcade game. Play it today.
• Gallery feature: Browse through the game’s cast of characters, including all the Yaris cars.
• Twelve new achievements and new Leaderboard: Twelve new achievements to unlock, and a new Xbox LIVE® Arcade leaderboard for you to dominate. Get in your Yaris and drive!" – Xbox.com

As for last week’s Live Arcade release, Tetris Splash, as expected it was… well, Tetris. There’s really not much else to say about that, now is there?

XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – PUZZLE QUEST: CHALLENGE OF THE WARLORDS & YARIS

Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays returns to the two-game format this week with the release of the ever-addictive Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords and Yaris, a free combat racing game sponsored by Toyota.

We’ll open with a look at Puzzle Quest, the game that has already taken the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP by storm. Puzzle Quest is a highly addictive mix of classic puzzle-game strategy with a heavy dose of RPG gameplay built in. As you can probably tell, I’m a big fan of this game and have spent more than a few hours playing it on the DS.

The gameplay premise itself is simple – the game presents a standard map-based RPG experience until the player becomes involved in combat. Once facing an enemy, the game switches to a puzzle grid where players take turns moving colored orbs around to create groups of three or more. Based on the color of the matched orbs, players will either do damage to their opponent or gain magic points related to the color that can be sued to cast spells or use special abilities. As you can imagine with an RPG, items and allies found during your adventures can help tip the balance in your favor for each fight.

The game is one of the higher priced Xbox Live Arcade releases, but at 1,200 points ($15) it’s actually the cheapest version of the game available on any system – and if you don’t already own it on another system, it’s one hell of a bargain.

Title: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Developer: Infinite Interactive
Publisher: D3 Publisher of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 1200 points ($15)
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Suggestive Themes
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords™ delivers, for the first time ever, classic puzzle-game action backed with an epic story of good versus evil. Challenge your puzzle skills in single-player campaign mode, or battle your friends in multiplayer action. Experience a puzzle game with role-playing elements. It’s like nothing you’ve played before.  

• Unique gameplay: Classic puzzle gameplay is enhanced with the addition of RPG-style character and story elements. The game is incredibly simple to learn for casual players, with seasoned gamers able to utilize deeper strategies.
• Quests: For the first-time ever in a puzzle game, embark on an epic single-player campaign comprising more than 150 challenging quests.
• Role-playing game elements: Create and build a persistent hero from one of four unique classes. Gain skills, spells, weapons, and more over the course of the game. Customize your characters to give them an advantage in battle.
• Battles and conquest: Build your empire as you capture cities, build castles and gain a party of companions that will aid you in battle. Battle other warlords for supremacy in multiplayer mode." – Xbox.com

Next up, we’ve got Yaris, a free combat racer where players can battle it out across eight different tracks… oh hell, let’s face it – this one is an advergame from the folks over at Toyota. I really don’t have high hopes for it at all, and the best thing I can find to say about it is that it’s free. Free is always good.

Title: Yaris
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: Free
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Cartoon Violence

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Hop into a Toyota Yaris and drive it on crazy tracks loaded with stubborn obstacles, cool powerups, and intense enemy action. The relentlessly twisted courses in Yaris might have loops or even be tube-shaped, but the Yaris never has to worry about sliding off track, as it defies gravity by scaling side-walls and going all topsy-turvy. Equip your Yaris with an arsenal of weapons to take out your adversaries, but be careful to avoid enemy fire, because once your shields are depleted, so is the game.

• Customizable cars: Drive either a Yaris Sedan, Sports Sedan, or the Liftback. Collect coins on the track and outfit your Yaris with weapons, shields, and tire configurations.
• Game modes: Race and take out your enemies in either single player or player vs. player game mode.
• Wild tracks: Drive on eight different tracks of progressive difficulty.
• FREE download: Yaris is a free Xbox LIVE® Arcade game. Play it today.
• Gallery feature: Browse through the game’s cast of characters, including all the Yaris cars.
• Twelve new achievements and new Leaderboard: Twelve new achievements to unlock, and a new Xbox LIVE® Arcade leaderboard for you to dominate. Get in your Yaris and drive!" – Xbox.com

As for last week’s Live Arcade release, Tetris Splash, as expected it was… well, Tetris. There’s really not much else to say about that, now is there?

XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – PUZZLE QUEST: CHALLENGE OF THE WARLORDS & YARIS

Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays returns to the two-game format this week with the release of the ever-addictive Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords and Yaris, a free combat racing game sponsored by Toyota.

We’ll open with a look at Puzzle Quest, the game that has already taken the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP by storm. Puzzle Quest is a highly addictive mix of classic puzzle-game strategy with a heavy dose of RPG gameplay built in. As you can probably tell, I’m a big fan of this game and have spent more than a few hours playing it on the DS.

The gameplay premise itself is simple – the game presents a standard map-based RPG experience until the player becomes involved in combat. Once facing an enemy, the game switches to a puzzle grid where players take turns moving colored orbs around to create groups of three or more. Based on the color of the matched orbs, players will either do damage to their opponent or gain magic points related to the color that can be sued to cast spells or use special abilities. As you can imagine with an RPG, items and allies found during your adventures can help tip the balance in your favor for each fight.

The game is one of the higher priced Xbox Live Arcade releases, but at 1,200 points ($15) it’s actually the cheapest version of the game available on any system – and if you don’t already own it on another system, it’s one hell of a bargain.

Title: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Developer: Infinite Interactive
Publisher: D3 Publisher of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 1200 points ($15)
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Suggestive Themes
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords™ delivers, for the first time ever, classic puzzle-game action backed with an epic story of good versus evil. Challenge your puzzle skills in single-player campaign mode, or battle your friends in multiplayer action. Experience a puzzle game with role-playing elements. It’s like nothing you’ve played before.  

• Unique gameplay: Classic puzzle gameplay is enhanced with the addition of RPG-style character and story elements. The game is incredibly simple to learn for casual players, with seasoned gamers able to utilize deeper strategies.
• Quests: For the first-time ever in a puzzle game, embark on an epic single-player campaign comprising more than 150 challenging quests.
• Role-playing game elements: Create and build a persistent hero from one of four unique classes. Gain skills, spells, weapons, and more over the course of the game. Customize your characters to give them an advantage in battle.
• Battles and conquest: Build your empire as you capture cities, build castles and gain a party of companions that will aid you in battle. Battle other warlords for supremacy in multiplayer mode." – Xbox.com

Next up, we’ve got Yaris, a free combat racer where players can battle it out across eight different tracks… oh hell, let’s face it – this one is an advergame from the folks over at Toyota. I really don’t have high hopes for it at all, and the best thing I can find to say about it is that it’s free. Free is always good.

Title: Yaris
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: Free
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Cartoon Violence

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Hop into a Toyota Yaris and drive it on crazy tracks loaded with stubborn obstacles, cool powerups, and intense enemy action. The relentlessly twisted courses in Yaris might have loops or even be tube-shaped, but the Yaris never has to worry about sliding off track, as it defies gravity by scaling side-walls and going all topsy-turvy. Equip your Yaris with an arsenal of weapons to take out your adversaries, but be careful to avoid enemy fire, because once your shields are depleted, so is the game.

• Customizable cars: Drive either a Yaris Sedan, Sports Sedan, or the Liftback. Collect coins on the track and outfit your Yaris with weapons, shields, and tire configurations.
• Game modes: Race and take out your enemies in either single player or player vs. player game mode.
• Wild tracks: Drive on eight different tracks of progressive difficulty.
• FREE download: Yaris is a free Xbox LIVE® Arcade game. Play it today.
• Gallery feature: Browse through the game’s cast of characters, including all the Yaris cars.
• Twelve new achievements and new Leaderboard: Twelve new achievements to unlock, and a new Xbox LIVE® Arcade leaderboard for you to dominate. Get in your Yaris and drive!" – Xbox.com

As for last week’s Live Arcade release, Tetris Splash, as expected it was… well, Tetris. There’s really not much else to say about that, now is there?