Xbox One backwards compatibility launching in November
When it was first announced that the Xbox One would be receiving backwards compatibility it was given the ambiguous launch date of “fall”. The launch window has finally been narrowed to a …
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Infinity Blade Saga coming to Xbox One…in China
iOS smash-hit Infinity Blade is coming to Xbox One as Infinity Blade Saga, confirms Chinese site A9VG. The console compilation will reportedly include all three games in the series and will be playable with Kinect or a controller. The port is coming from the games division of Tencent, a huge Chinese Internet company that invests in all kinds of businesses (including video games). It is a stakeholder for Epic Games, which owns Infinity Blade developer Chair Entertainment.
The original iOS games use swipe motions and symbols to engage opponents in one-on-one combat. The series makes up some of the highest-rated iOS games on the App Store and have each been flagship showoff pieces for the iPhone’s graphics capabilities. They’re also really fun. See the game playing on Kinect in the video below:
This week’s Deals with Gold games (August 26 – September 1)
There is a ton of stuff on sale this week, with both Deals with Gold and the Xbox Binge Watch and Play Sale happening together. While there is a major …
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Strider review (XBLA)
Strider was developed by Double Helix Games and published by Capcom. It was released on February 19, 2014 on Xbox Live Arcade and Xbox One for $14.99. An Xbox 360 copy was provided for review purposes.
Strider has had a long history in gaming, despite not having too many games. First arriving in arcades in 1989, Strider‘s fast-paced ninja gameplay spawned an NES port and numerous knock-offs. Despite being well-received, the game didn’t get a true sequel until 1999’s Strider II. Outside of being a playable fighter in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, protagonist Strider Hiryu hasn’t been in a game for over 10 years.
Now the franchise has finally been awoken from its slumber with Strider, a reboot that re-tells the original game’s story. Taking place in the year 2048, the game opens with an organization of high-tech ninjas known as Striders sending their best agent, Hiryu, on a deadly mission. Armed with his deadly plasma Cypher and loads of ninja skills, Hiryu is tasked with assassinating the the city of Kazahk’s evil dictator, Grandmaster Meio. The adventure is great at delivering fast-paced action, at least when there aren’t too many speed bumps in the way.
Final Exam Review (XBLA)
Final Exam was developed by Mighty Rocket Studio and published by Focus Home Interactive. It was originally released on November 8, 2013 for $9.99. A copy was provided for review purposes.
Final Examis a game that feels dated from the start. The zombie setting feels like an overused trope here, decided upon not because of any significant meaning to storyline or gameplay mechanics, but because zombies were popular at the time the game was being developed. Any game that casts a group of four people working as a team against zombies is going to owe something to Valve’s Left 4 Dead; Final Exam, owes a little too much — the first boss is called the Tank and looks like a ripoff of the monster from Valve’s popular first-person shooter. The game runs at 30 frames per second, which makes everything feel just a little slower than it should. There’s a neat idea or two to be found here, but nothing that adds up to a game worth any significant investment of time.
Letter from the Editor: Future of XBLA Fans looks bright
Now that the craziness from the launch of two exciting consoles in the course of two weeks has finally abated, I wanted to take the time to let our …
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Xbox 360’s best XBLA games of all time: #10 – 6
Xbox Live Arcade began its life on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 simply enough. When eager gamers bought up Xbox 360s on launch day (November 22, 2005), they found a free copy of Hexic HD pre-loaded on their hard drives. Of course, it was another launch title that secured the platform’s success. Bizarre’s Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved both gave birth to the twin-stick shooter craze and demanded gamers take Xbox Live Arcade, which started in disc form back on the original Xbox, seriously as a digital games platform. Bizarre’s side project paved the way for the enormous variety of retro revivals, HD remakes, original indie projects, major studio releases, free-to-play games and more that have come to call XBLA home in the years since.
Today, we’re approximately one month away from the launch of the Xbox One, which will signal the end of XBLA as we have come to know it these past eight years. While Microsoft’s Xbox line will continue to be home to myriad low-cost downloadable video games, the XBLA moniker will not make the transition to Xbox One. It’s going down with the figurative (and literal) Xbox 360 boat. So what better time than now to count down the best XBLA games to ever grace the Xbox 360?
It wasn’t easy, but our staff has sorted through all of the best XBLA releases over the years and picked the ones that we feel are the true standout stars of the platform. Check back with us throughout the week as we run down five of Xbox Live Arcade’s top games every night. And don’t forget to head to the comments to let us know how much you love (or hate) our picks.
(Editor’s Note: Voting was conducted in early September. No games released post-Summer of Arcade 2013 were considered eligible.)
10.) 1 vs 100
Ryan Thompson, Contributor — One of the promises of the Xbox 360 console that went largely unfulfilled was the idea that Xbox Live would expand to a point of truly joining together the entire community of players. The truth is that not a lot has changed since players began playing Halo 2 online almost a decade ago: we still join lobbies and play with small groups of people.
Friday Top Five: Top five XBLA games that require a sequel
Whoever coined the phrase, “Too much of a good thing,” likely never played a video game. Sure, mostly because the saying dates back to well before Pong ever pinged a virtual paddle, but in some small part because anyone that’s ever really connected to a great game knows the bittersweet sorrow of wrapping it up. Xbox Live Arcade is no stranger to great games — however you choose to define the word: fun, dense, deep, powerful – there’s something for everyone in our little digital corner of video games proper.
With that in mind, we take a look back at the heavy hitters, the ones that make you set down the controller upon completion and want to know more. XBLAFans’ Friday Top Five is back, bringing you the top five Xbox Live Arcade games (in no particular order) that require a sequel.
Capcom’s Strider lands on Xbox 360, Xbox One early 2014
Capcom took a brief moment today during San Diego Comic Con to blow a few minds and announce a new Strider game headed to current and next-gen consoles early next year.
The techno ninja who first made his debut more than twenty years ago is getting a 2.5D graphical overhaul, some slick new toys and a seamlessly connected environment through which he’ll hack, slash, flip and generally just go about being a ninja. The revival has a distinct Shadow Complex vibe, and is being helmed by none other than Double Helix Games, the studio currently developing the long-awaited Killer Instinct remake.
Though information released indicates the title will be developed for all the usual suspects, including Xbox One and Xbox 360, there’s no official word yet as to whether or not Strider will hoist the orange banner of Arcade as previously rumored. Considering the release window falls well into the next generation of hardware, it could be that Xbox Live Arcade will have already been phased out, as we learned earlier this year.
In any case, look for Strider to bring a little more ninja to your X-marked console of choice. You can check out the official announcement trailer after the jump, and if you’re still hungry for more, kick back and take in seven minutes of gameplay footage immediately following.
Flashback remake coming to XBLA
It’s been 20 years since the Amiga/Sega Genesis/Mega Drive (and other platforms) hit Flashback, a cinematic platformer in which protagonist Conrad Hart must protect humanity from a shape shifting group of aliens. Woken and suffering from amnesia, he finds a recording from himself detailing the plot against humanity.
The story takes place in a futuristic setting and gameplay can be compared to Shadow Complex. Like that game, Flashback is powered by Unreal Engine 3. The original game was a best-selling, critically acclaimed game, and the remake looks to follow in its footsteps. Much of the original core team returns for the 2.5D remake, which as of yet has no release date or pricing. The original game’s sequel, Fade to Black, was equally compelling. Here’s hoping it gets the remake treatment as well. Hit the jump for concept art and the full press release .