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Gamasutra have published their monthly Xbox Live Arcade sales analysis for August. This month we find out how well the second half of this year’s Summer of Arcade games …
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Plants vs. Zombies for the Pinball FX 2 platform was developed by Zen Studios. It was released on September 5, 2012 for 240 MSP. 

Plants vs. Zombies is the much anticipated collaboration between Pop Cap and Zen Studios. To our knowledge this is the first time a tower defense game has been converted into a pinball table. This table looks and feels relatively similar to Epic Quest. But it doesn’t nearly live up to that standard or really the Pinball FX 2 name. Despite being an interesting collaboration and a great idea this table just falls short.

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Ubisoft announced that developer Kung Fu Factory’s upcoming XBLA game Spartacus Legends will be free to play. This marks the first third party game to be released …
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Alien Spidy is hard. I watched helplessly during PAX East as the game’s public relations representative repeatedly subjected himself to the rigors of a particularly nasty stretch of platforming in a cave level. He died. A lot. The level required the game’s space spider protagonist to fire off strands of webbing, which he can swing from to progress through the game world, at a series of stalactites with pinpoint accuracy. Missing the dripstones meant his webbing would uselessly hit a section of the cave ceiling that it wouldn’t stick to, sending the spider to his doom. Certainly this could be overcome by the simple act of slowing down and carefully lining up shots, no? No. The stalagmites begin to crumble and fall under the strain of Spidy’s weight.

It didn’t get any easier from there. Another portion of the same level required a deft hand to guide Spidy carefully through a narrow space flanked by rows of pink crystals that were as sharp as they were shiny. More dying ensued. There is no life bar in Alien Spidy; one careless brush with an environmental hazard or enemy results in death. The development team at Enigma Software have offset the high degree of difficulty by liberally sprinkling checkpoints throughout the game’s stages. As a result, death is less likely to inspire a controller throw than it is another go…and another one, and another one, and so on and so forth.

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Mark of the Ninja was developed by Klei Entertainment and published by Microsoft Studios. It was released Sept. 7, 2012 for 1200 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

Ninjas have a long and proud tradition in fiction in general and video games specifically. Since Ninja Gaiden, the stealthy Japanese warriors are behind perhaps only Nazis and zombies in gaming ubiquity. Continuing that proud tradition is new release Mark of the Ninja, a stealth platformer which sets you in the shoes of a ninja attempting to save his clan from extinction. Along the way, you’ll sneak, stab and hide your way through a solid adventure. Is it worth your time? Read on and find 0ut:

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It’s hard to keep track of all those XBLA release dates, they often seem to spring upon you, seemingly out of nowhere, at the last minute not to mention those promised games you were looking forward to that just seem to disappear into the ether without explanation. Now with XBLA Fans new monthly update keeping track, you can start organising your MSP more effectively and schedule in some serious controller time and sick days well in advance.

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It’s been a while since we heard any word on fighting game Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus following news that it would available to play this summer. However developers Arc System Works …
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Harmonix have announced some changes to the in-game coin rewards for Rock Band Blitz following player feedback. Coins are spent on the game’s power-ups which are required to earn …
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Techland and Ubisoft’s Call of Juarez was a great game. Its prequel, Bound in Blood, was quality too. The Cartel changed the setting and disappointed fans. So in a surprise move the series is making a jump to digital with Call of Juarez: Gunslinger.  The game brings the series back to the old west; players will control an as-yet-unnamed bounty hunter going after famous outlaws like Jesse James and Billy the Kid. Hit the jump for the first screenshots.

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Croteam’s Serious Sam 3: BFE passed certification this morning. Sam’s newest adventure will feature cooperative and competitive multiplayer, both splitscreen and online. Certification is the last major milestone before nailing …
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