***EPIC FAILURE ALERT***

If you are expecting the next Mech Assault on the Xbox LIVE Arcade, you are sadly mistaken my friends…

If you are expecting the next Mech Assault on the Xbox LIVE Arcade, you are sadly mistaken my friends. War World was probably the game I was looking forward to the most last year. After watching a few early gameplay videos in 2007, I was sold on the idea. During the original Xbox days, I was a Mech Assault addict and this looked like it could easily become the “Mech Assault” of the Xbox LIVE Arcade. Unfortunately, this game falls short in nearly every possible category. You can read the rest of my review but don’t waste your money on this rubbish game. What shocks me most about War World is the fact that it was originally set to be released a year ago. I suppose they took an extra 12 months to polish the game. I’d hate to see what it would have looked like without the polishing…

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written by Will Snizek \\ tags: game review, LIVE Arcade, Microsoft Xbox 360, War World, XBLA

Amazon is offering Xbox Live Points for 20% Off.

We’ve seen all the demo’s that Xbox has to offer, and we know some great games are on XBLA.  So why not purchase your points in advance and save yourself 20%.  Remember, all purchases over $25 is FREE Shipping.

Amazon has Xbox Live 4000 Points card for $40 with free shipping. Also available 1600 Points card for $16 with free shipping on $25+ orders (order 2), with Amazon Prime.

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: Amazon, points, XBLA, xbox live

Old-school SEGA Saturn players might remember a cool game titled ‘Death Tank’.  It was actually a hidden game inside Duke Nukem 3D (Death Tank Zwei) and PowerSlave (Death Tank).  Although it was simple, it was hours and hours of fun.  The XBLA version will have numerous upgrades and 4-player online play.  The basic premise of the game is to take out enemy tanks on the landscape before they take you out.  It’s a lot like classic Battleship because it was turn-based.  If you missed, you’d basically just have to sit back and wait to see if they hit you.  While some may consider this an unrealistic aspect, I felt it added to the suspense.  If you like Scorched Earth or Worms, this is your kind of game.

written by Will Snizek \\ tags: cool, death, Duke Nukem, fun, game, Old-school, Online, play, Player, PowerSlave, Saturn, Sega, Tank, version, XBLA, Zwei

Each week, XBLA received either good titles or really terrible ones.  This week, it looks like we have two iffy games and one pretty good one.  Blazing Lizard’s Pirates Vs. Ninjas Dodgeball (800MP) will be available and I’m sure it will do fine, even though I wasn’t really impressed with anything I saw in the game.  Shred Nebula (800MP), the space-shooter will also hit the scene.  I’d probably say this is the safe bet for the week, because it’s at least a fun game.  Finally, they will be adding Gin Rummy (400MP).  The last time I checked, 80-year old grandmothers were playing the Wii, not the Xbox 360, so I have no idea who the hell is going to buy this game.  

One thing that continues to upset me with the arcade is the lack of quality “arcade” titles.  There are so many great old school games begging to be re-made, but we typically see mediocre titles released most weeks.  Shred Nebula isn’t the greatest game, but it’s still one worth picking up, so this week wasn’t a total loss.  At this point in the game, I expect better games.  XBLA has been around too long for this to keep happening most weeks.

written by Will Snizek \\ tags: anything, Arcade, Blazing, Dodgeball, game, Gin Rummy, Lizard, Microsoft, Nebula, Ninjas, Pirates, Shred, tomorrow, wasn, Week, XBLA

Release Date: August 6, 2008
Platform: Xbox 360 (XBLA)
Developer: Number None, Inc.
Publisher: Number None, Inc.
Genre: Puzzle-Platformer
Players: 1
MSRP: $15 (1200 Microsoft Points)
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+

Jonathan Blow’s singular vision of a distraught hero looking for his princess unfolds in Braid to great effect. The title is set in a fictional, artful world that puts your time-traveling skills and smarts to the test. You’re only given one life but plenty of juice for you to manipulate time, a la Prince of Persia, which you can bend at will to make up for all the goof-ups you’re likely to accrue throughout your quest.

The premise is simple as you traverse five words with time-shifting moves at hand with an overall jigsaw puzzle for you to put together. In a change of pace from most modern games, though, this puzzle-platformer differs in that it’s actually pretty difficult to get through. A lot of the puzzles are mind-benders but the hard quotient is heightened when you consider that a lot of them require split-second timing to succeed.

You might want to try jumping on a FAQ several times throughout your adventure, but avoid doing so, because just like The Legend of Zelda series: half the fun is figuring out the challenging puzzles. Don’t worry, Braid will give you hints along the way. Never overly obvious, but similar to the movie The Sixth Sense, the game uses bright colors to represent key aspects of the setting.

Any color that stands out in Braid (Green, Purple, etc.) are essential to your progress from puzzle to puzzle suggesting ways that objects may or may not be manipulated with time.

Players shouldn’t worry about getting “stuck” in puzzles, though, as Number None cleverly made it so that you don’t have to solve the puzzles in a strictly linear fashion. You can skip any one that might be too difficult at the time and continue to the next one — free to come back whenever you want.

Another thing the game has going for it is its deeply emotional and rewarding story…if you want to explore it. The story is laid out before the actual “puzzle levels” in books you can read, but if you don’t want to deal with such trite, you can skip it and go straight for the action.

Graphically, Braid’s oil-painting look easily stands as one of the more polished XBLA titles available and not necessarily for pushing a specific poly count but for the attention to detail to every orifice of the game world. Every level and section is lovingly created; you can tell how much care the creators put in the fanciful world as you move from room to room.

While Braid is a definite cerebral experience wrapped up in relaxing, soothing art, it doesn’t come without its faults. Mainly, the lack of any real boss battles teasing the player with only a couple of noteworthy encounters. It’s understandable that the game is not entirely focused on combat, but it does present a few clever bosses that makes one wish it added more.

Besides that, the price tag is a bit pricey for a game that you’ll likely finish in an afternoon — maybe a couple days if you stretch it. And while this writer enjoyed the thought-provoking puzzles, they didn’t come without a few headaches and doubt that many gamers will finish it before getting frustrated at them first.

Gameplay: 2D platformer that messes with time to brilliant effect.

Graphics: Artful backgrounds with semi-ugly characters paint the landcape for the game.

Audio: Simple soundtrack which remixes itself when time is normal/manipulated.

Replay Value: A “speed run” option after the 4-5 hours it takes to beat the game; not much else.

Uniqueness: Takes time aspects of Blinx and Prince of Persia, touches it up, and blends it into a nice, digestible package.

How It Matches Up: One of the more ingenious puzzle-platforming game you’ll find.

Closing Statement:

At $15, Braid’s asking price might be a tad steeper than what we’re used to ponying up on XBLA but well worth the investment. It could’ve been a bit longer, added more bosses, and served the gamer to introduce techniques that were unexplained — i.e. the higher your fall, the higher you jump — but just make sure to bring your “breaking the fourth wall” hat and twitch-finger to get through the sometimes brutal puzzles and you’ll find a fun, original, little game within.

written by Carlos Macias \\ tags: Braid, Don, Effect, game, Inc, Jonathan Blow, None, number, Persia, platformer, Prince, puzzle, Quest, time, world, XBLA, Xbox, zelda

Capcom confirms Bionic Commando: Rearmed coming to North America XBLA August 13th and PSN August 14.

Well it’s official folks. Capcom has just confirmed that Bionic Commando Rearmed has release dates.  Xbox 360 user’s will get it a day earlier on August 13th for 800 points.  The next day the unfortunate PSN gamers will get BC: Rearmed on August 14th for $10.00.

Bionic Commando Rearmed is one of the best digital games you will ever play. Believe me, you’re more than going to get your money’s worth out of this particular title. I’ve been playing around with it for months now, but I’ve been putting off spending too much time with it for two reasons: a) I want the Achiements (sad, but true) and b) I want to play the full game, start to finish. We’re very happy to officially let you guys know that in North America (for sure) you’ll be able to get your own Bionic Commando on Wednesday, August 13 (Xbox LIVE Arcade, 800 points) and/or Thursday, August 14 (PlayStation Network, $10 ). W00t!

Via Capcom-Unity through Kotaku

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: Aug, August, BC: commando rearmed, Believe, Bionic, bionic commando release date, Commando, day, money, North America, PSN, Rearmed, release, spending, title, Unity, user, XBLA, Xbox

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Kezins.com wasn’t able to trek out to the smog-filled vistas that the Los Angeles’ downtown sprawl has to offer this year for E3, but we will be filling you in on some of the more exciting things coming out of the week-long “festivities.”

The biggest show stopper was the reveal that Final Fantasy XIII is no longer a Sony exclusive and the PS3 version will be releasing alongside an Xbox 360 version day and date in the U.S. and Europe, as Perez just reported.

Hit the link for a quick rundown of everything else that was revealed, shown, and affirmed (as the pre-E3 leaks can attest to)…

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written by Carlos Macias \\ tags: Alex Rigopulos, Bob Dylan, Cliff Bleszinski, co-op, Dashboard, DLC, Europe, FINAL, game, Hero, Hero III, Inis, LOS ANGELES, Microsoft, multiplayer, N Roses, North America, November, Online, Peter Molyneux, Rock Band, show, Star-Ocean, twist, US, Van Halen, wasn, XBLA, Xbox, XIII

When I first downloaded Commando 3 on the XBLA, I was excited that they were finally bringing the classic arcade series back.  If you are looking to re-live the old Commando days, you might be left feeling a little let down.  While the game isn’t bad, they certainly went in a direction that didn’t add much of value to the series. The best way I can describe the new game is that it’s a lot of fun in short bursts, but the gameplay really doesn’t last very long.  Cooperative play certainly will add to the fun, but the title isn’t going to make my favorite list by a long shot.

The Good:

• It’s great that they have revived interest in the franchise and the game certainly is fun to play for short periods of time.   
• The game looks really cool.  The art design is spot on and exactly what I’d expect from a downloadable game.  I also sampled the PS3 version and it looks a little cleaner on that system, so you may want to go for the PSN download over the Xbox LIVE version.
• The game characters are unique and add fun to the title.