PLAYSTATION STORE: SPYRO THE DRAGON

While we're on the subject of this week's PlayStation Store updates, Sony has finally gotten around to releasing another classic PlayStation title for both the PlayStation 3 and PSP. Spyro the Dragon, the first in the now familiar series of games, is available for download through the PlayStation store at a cost of $5.99.

"Meet Spyro, the adorable and mischievous little dragon on a GIGANTIC adventure. Take on an astonishing and completely 3D platform adventure game unlike any other! Take a wonderful journey as you glide, fly, roll, and frolic through fantasy worlds." – PlayStation.com

 I remember playing Spyro when it first came out back in 1998, and despite my general dislike of platform style games, I did enjoy my time with it. Maybe it was the fact that the main character was a dragon, or maybe just the fact that I found making Spyro charge headlong into objects utterly hilarious, but I did like it. 

That said, I still won't be purchasing this one. I've got my Emotion Engine equipped PS3 and the original game right here, so there's no need to shell out any more cash for nostalgia's sake. I do wonder if part of the reason Sony is backing away from any support for backward compatibility is so they can rake in the cash the same way Nintendo does with the Wii and it's Virtual Console. Just something to consider.

• PlayStation Store – PlayStation.com
• Spyro the Dragon – PlayStation Store 

XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – BATTLESTAR GALACTICA & EXIT

It’s wednesday, and you know what that means – it’s time for another edition of Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays. Once again, it’s a double feature week as two more original titles find their way to the Live Arcade in the form of Battlestar Galactica and Exit.

Battlestar Galactica is a top down, free roaming shooter based on the current incarnation of the show of the same name. You take the side of either the human race or Cylon empire and fly about, performing missions to advance your cause in either a free-play mode or a campaign. Online, the game also offers domination and multiplayer dogfight game modes for up to 8 players.

Having just finished playing both of today’s releases, I feel pretty confident in saying that while Battlestar Galactica is a pretty game, there’s not much meat to it. At 800 points ($10), I certainly could think of better games to spend the money on, so my advice to you is to be sure to try the demo before you buy this one.

Title: Battlestar Galactica
Developer: Auran
Publisher: Sierra Online
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/24/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 / 2-8 Online
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E10 – Everyone 10+ (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Enter the Battlestar Galactica universe in Battlestar Galactica™. Sign up to defend the Galactica, or play as the ruthless Cylons as they seek to remove the Human Race from existence. Pilot iconic ships from the Viper II to the Heavy Raider and lead your squadron in enormous fast-action multiplayer space combat (with up to eight players online) or play through the exciting single-player campaign.

• Single-player campaign: Pilot various ships and complete memorable missions from the TV series.
• Multiplayer game mode: Play online with up to eight players in this relentless space-based action shooter in Firefight, Skirmish, and Domination modes.
• Spaceships: Pilot four human and four Cylon ships, from the Viper II to the Heavy Raider, each with unique weapon capabilities.
• Special weapons: Coordinate attacks with an arsenal of destructive weapons including missiles, guns, and more.
• Defensive maneuvers: Avoid annihilation with the barrel roll, quick turnabouts, and other aerial moves." – Xbox.com

The second Live Arcade title of the week shows a little more promise if side scrolling platform puzzle games are to your liking. Exit is a stylized take on the classic platformer where your mission is to escape from a series of buildings using items found throughout each of the game’s levels. Adding to the mix is the need to rescue other people trapped in the building, and in many cases use them to help solve the puzzle that will allow you to escape unharmed.

The tutorial levels that I tried are fairly straight-forward and didn’t include any truly mind-bending puzzles, so I really don’t know whether or not this one is going to live up to it’s promise. As usual, my advice is for you to download the demo and see whether or not the game suits your tastes.

In my case, while I liked the puzzle solving aspect of the game (despite the tutorials simplicity), I found that it was just a little too slow paced for me to really get into – which is why I didn’t play the tutorial levels all the way to their completion. it’s one of those titles that I’ll probably go back to soon in order to see if it still leaves me cold or if I was just feeling a bit impatient today. I guess the best thing I can say about Exit is that it reminds me of a cross between the Castle of Dr Brain and Mario vs Donkey Kong.

Title: Exit
Developer: TAITO Corporation
Publisher: TAITO Corporation
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/24/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone) Cartoon Violence
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Meet Mr. ESC, otherwise known as Mr. Escape. Mr. ESC is an escape artist whose objective is to save people from disastrous situations, clearing each danger-filled stage within a limited amount of time. Save lives in EXIT®, a frantic, mind-stretching, action-packed puzzle game!

• Frantic rescue action: As Mr. ESC, take control and rescue people from dangers like fires and earthquakes. Turn them into Companions and lead them to safety.
• Puzzle-solving skills required: Use your Companions by commanding them to use items, solve puzzles, and reach the exit within the time limit.
• Companion abilities: The different Companions you save have different abilities. Young Companions have average abilities, Adults are strong, and Kids can make it through tight passages. Be sure to save the injured Patients as well.
• Multiple stages: There are over 120 challenging stages to escape, and even more stages will be available for download.
• Twelve new achievements and leaderboard: Master twelve new achievements, and compete for the best stage times on the leaderboards to prove you are the greatest escape artist in the world!" – Xbox.com

As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I couldn’t really get into either of them. Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe suffers from both control issues and a general lack of solid fun that easily makes it (imho) not worth the price that’s being asked for it. Every Extend Extra Extreme, while a good title, just didn’t fit my tastes. The game’s design makes you feel more of a spectator than an active participant, and I found myself growing bored of it quickly. It’s not a case where I’ll say it’s a bad game, just one that I’ll say I don’t particularly care for.

XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – BATTLESTAR GALACTICA & EXIT

It’s wednesday, and you know what that means – it’s time for another edition of Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays. Once again, it’s a double feature week as two more original titles find their way to the Live Arcade in the form of Battlestar Galactica and Exit.

Battlestar Galactica is a top down, free roaming shooter based on the current incarnation of the show of the same name. You take the side of either the human race or Cylon empire and fly about, performing missions to advance your cause in either a free-play mode or a campaign. Online, the game also offers domination and multiplayer dogfight game modes for up to 8 players.

Having just finished playing both of today’s releases, I feel pretty confident in saying that while Battlestar Galactica is a pretty game, there’s not much meat to it. At 800 points ($10), I certainly could think of better games to spend the money on, so my advice to you is to be sure to try the demo before you buy this one.

Title: Battlestar Galactica
Developer: Auran
Publisher: Sierra Online
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/24/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 / 2-8 Online
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E10 – Everyone 10+ (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Enter the Battlestar Galactica universe in Battlestar Galactica™. Sign up to defend the Galactica, or play as the ruthless Cylons as they seek to remove the Human Race from existence. Pilot iconic ships from the Viper II to the Heavy Raider and lead your squadron in enormous fast-action multiplayer space combat (with up to eight players online) or play through the exciting single-player campaign.

• Single-player campaign: Pilot various ships and complete memorable missions from the TV series.
• Multiplayer game mode: Play online with up to eight players in this relentless space-based action shooter in Firefight, Skirmish, and Domination modes.
• Spaceships: Pilot four human and four Cylon ships, from the Viper II to the Heavy Raider, each with unique weapon capabilities.
• Special weapons: Coordinate attacks with an arsenal of destructive weapons including missiles, guns, and more.
• Defensive maneuvers: Avoid annihilation with the barrel roll, quick turnabouts, and other aerial moves." – Xbox.com

The second Live Arcade title of the week shows a little more promise if side scrolling platform puzzle games are to your liking. Exit is a stylized take on the classic platformer where your mission is to escape from a series of buildings using items found throughout each of the game’s levels. Adding to the mix is the need to rescue other people trapped in the building, and in many cases use them to help solve the puzzle that will allow you to escape unharmed.

The tutorial levels that I tried are fairly straight-forward and didn’t include any truly mind-bending puzzles, so I really don’t know whether or not this one is going to live up to it’s promise. As usual, my advice is for you to download the demo and see whether or not the game suits your tastes.

In my case, while I liked the puzzle solving aspect of the game (despite the tutorials simplicity), I found that it was just a little too slow paced for me to really get into – which is why I didn’t play the tutorial levels all the way to their completion. it’s one of those titles that I’ll probably go back to soon in order to see if it still leaves me cold or if I was just feeling a bit impatient today. I guess the best thing I can say about Exit is that it reminds me of a cross between the Castle of Dr Brain and Mario vs Donkey Kong.

Title: Exit
Developer: TAITO Corporation
Publisher: TAITO Corporation
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/24/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone) Cartoon Violence
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Meet Mr. ESC, otherwise known as Mr. Escape. Mr. ESC is an escape artist whose objective is to save people from disastrous situations, clearing each danger-filled stage within a limited amount of time. Save lives in EXIT®, a frantic, mind-stretching, action-packed puzzle game!

• Frantic rescue action: As Mr. ESC, take control and rescue people from dangers like fires and earthquakes. Turn them into Companions and lead them to safety.
• Puzzle-solving skills required: Use your Companions by commanding them to use items, solve puzzles, and reach the exit within the time limit.
• Companion abilities: The different Companions you save have different abilities. Young Companions have average abilities, Adults are strong, and Kids can make it through tight passages. Be sure to save the injured Patients as well.
• Multiple stages: There are over 120 challenging stages to escape, and even more stages will be available for download.
• Twelve new achievements and leaderboard: Master twelve new achievements, and compete for the best stage times on the leaderboards to prove you are the greatest escape artist in the world!" – Xbox.com

As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I couldn’t really get into either of them. Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe suffers from both control issues and a general lack of solid fun that easily makes it (imho) not worth the price that’s being asked for it. Every Extend Extra Extreme, while a good title, just didn’t fit my tastes. The game’s design makes you feel more of a spectator than an active participant, and I found myself growing bored of it quickly. It’s not a case where I’ll say it’s a bad game, just one that I’ll say I don’t particularly care for.

XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – BATTLESTAR GALACTICA & EXIT

It’s wednesday, and you know what that means – it’s time for another edition of Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays. Once again, it’s a double feature week as two more original titles find their way to the Live Arcade in the form of Battlestar Galactica and Exit.

Battlestar Galactica is a top down, free roaming shooter based on the current incarnation of the show of the same name. You take the side of either the human race or Cylon empire and fly about, performing missions to advance your cause in either a free-play mode or a campaign. Online, the game also offers domination and multiplayer dogfight game modes for up to 8 players.

Having just finished playing both of today’s releases, I feel pretty confident in saying that while Battlestar Galactica is a pretty game, there’s not much meat to it. At 800 points ($10), I certainly could think of better games to spend the money on, so my advice to you is to be sure to try the demo before you buy this one.

Title: Battlestar Galactica
Developer: Auran
Publisher: Sierra Online
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/24/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 / 2-8 Online
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E10 – Everyone 10+ (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Enter the Battlestar Galactica universe in Battlestar Galactica™. Sign up to defend the Galactica, or play as the ruthless Cylons as they seek to remove the Human Race from existence. Pilot iconic ships from the Viper II to the Heavy Raider and lead your squadron in enormous fast-action multiplayer space combat (with up to eight players online) or play through the exciting single-player campaign.

• Single-player campaign: Pilot various ships and complete memorable missions from the TV series.
• Multiplayer game mode: Play online with up to eight players in this relentless space-based action shooter in Firefight, Skirmish, and Domination modes.
• Spaceships: Pilot four human and four Cylon ships, from the Viper II to the Heavy Raider, each with unique weapon capabilities.
• Special weapons: Coordinate attacks with an arsenal of destructive weapons including missiles, guns, and more.
• Defensive maneuvers: Avoid annihilation with the barrel roll, quick turnabouts, and other aerial moves." – Xbox.com

The second Live Arcade title of the week shows a little more promise if side scrolling platform puzzle games are to your liking. Exit is a stylized take on the classic platformer where your mission is to escape from a series of buildings using items found throughout each of the game’s levels. Adding to the mix is the need to rescue other people trapped in the building, and in many cases use them to help solve the puzzle that will allow you to escape unharmed.

The tutorial levels that I tried are fairly straight-forward and didn’t include any truly mind-bending puzzles, so I really don’t know whether or not this one is going to live up to it’s promise. As usual, my advice is for you to download the demo and see whether or not the game suits your tastes.

In my case, while I liked the puzzle solving aspect of the game (despite the tutorials simplicity), I found that it was just a little too slow paced for me to really get into – which is why I didn’t play the tutorial levels all the way to their completion. it’s one of those titles that I’ll probably go back to soon in order to see if it still leaves me cold or if I was just feeling a bit impatient today. I guess the best thing I can say about Exit is that it reminds me of a cross between the Castle of Dr Brain and Mario vs Donkey Kong.

Title: Exit
Developer: TAITO Corporation
Publisher: TAITO Corporation
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/24/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone) Cartoon Violence
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Meet Mr. ESC, otherwise known as Mr. Escape. Mr. ESC is an escape artist whose objective is to save people from disastrous situations, clearing each danger-filled stage within a limited amount of time. Save lives in EXIT®, a frantic, mind-stretching, action-packed puzzle game!

• Frantic rescue action: As Mr. ESC, take control and rescue people from dangers like fires and earthquakes. Turn them into Companions and lead them to safety.
• Puzzle-solving skills required: Use your Companions by commanding them to use items, solve puzzles, and reach the exit within the time limit.
• Companion abilities: The different Companions you save have different abilities. Young Companions have average abilities, Adults are strong, and Kids can make it through tight passages. Be sure to save the injured Patients as well.
• Multiple stages: There are over 120 challenging stages to escape, and even more stages will be available for download.
• Twelve new achievements and leaderboard: Master twelve new achievements, and compete for the best stage times on the leaderboards to prove you are the greatest escape artist in the world!" – Xbox.com

As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I couldn’t really get into either of them. Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe suffers from both control issues and a general lack of solid fun that easily makes it (imho) not worth the price that’s being asked for it. Every Extend Extra Extreme, while a good title, just didn’t fit my tastes. The game’s design makes you feel more of a spectator than an active participant, and I found myself growing bored of it quickly. It’s not a case where I’ll say it’s a bad game, just one that I’ll say I don’t particularly care for.

XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – PRINCE OF PERSIA CLASSIC

Once again the Xbox Live Arcade is looking back in time for inspiration this week as Ubisoft brings us a re-imagining of Broderbund’s 1989 classic Prince of Persia in the form of Prince of Persia Classic.

While many may recognize the title from the more recent games in the series, long before the game was reincarnated as a 3D action trilogy during the sixth console generation, it was a highly successful 2D side scrolling title that graced many of the platforms of it’s day. It’s that older game that’s being given the high-definition treatment along with a few new surprises.

As with the original, you take the role of the prince as he attempts to save the princess from the evil usurper Jaffar. Jaffar has not only claimed the throne of Persia for himself, but has given the princess only 60 minutes to make a fateful choice – marry him or die. Yes, the game isn’t about surviving to the last level, it’s about completing the game in the time provided. While you may have an unlimited number of lives to get the job done, the guards, traps and puzzles that you’ll encounter can slow you down enough to make completing the game impossible.

Is the game worth the 800 points ($10) that the Live Marketplace is asking for the title? Well, I’m going to guess that it’s going to really come down to how well the game controls. Getting through the game in the time provided is largely dependent on being able to control the prince effortlessly, and given the control issues many Live Arcade titles have had, PoPC could very easily become an exercise in frustration. My advice is to download and play the demo before you make any kind of a purchasing decision.

Title: Prince of Persia Classic
Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 6/13/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: T (Teen) – Blood & Violence
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Prince of Persia® Classic is a remake of the original 1989 title, often referred to as THE game that kick-started the platforming genre. This new version features updated character designs, animations, visuals, and lighting effects, all transforming the game into a fresh, close to 3-dimensional look. New traps, puzzles, enemies, and achievements add to the excitement. It’s time to save the princess from her terrible fate!

• Updated and enhanced: All the character designs, animations, controls, and visuals have been completely updated to stunning effect.
• New content: In addition to the graphic refresh, new puzzles, enemies, and even helpful checkpoints further augment the classic experience.
• Athleticism and swordplay: Run, jump, and climb, showcasing your character’s athleticism, and buckle your swash with exciting sword battles.
• Three game modes: Normal Mode requires you to complete the game as fast as possible, with saves at the end of each level. Time Attack has you starting from the beginning if you fail to save the princess after the allotted sixty minutes. And Survival Mode challenges you to complete the entire game without dying. Good luck.
• Achievements: Twelve achievements are available, ranging from the simple (finding the sword in the first level) to the truly difficult (finding all the potions in the game, or finishing the game without dying)." – Xbox.com

Those of you interested in my thoughts on Pac-Man Championship Edition should check out my earlier post on the topic entitled First Impressions: Pac-Man Championship Edition. For those of you who don’t feel like reading through it, here’s the short version – let’s just say I really enjoy the game, but really wish they had also included a non-timed game mode.

NEW KAMEO: ELEMENTS OF POWER DEMO IN XBOX LIVE MARKETPLACE

What’s being listed as a "new" demo for Kameo: Elements of Power is now available in the Xbox Live Marketplace. I’m not sure what’s the difference between this one and the old one, but Kameo was a much better game than I expected it to be, so if you haven’t played it yet, why not give the new demo a try? The demo weighs in at 1 gigabyte, so plan your download time accordingly.