A World of Keflings

A few weeks ago, some of the XBLA Era staff of XBLA Fans took to Skype to debate the merits of the Backwards Compatible XBLA Games. We wanted a pound …
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Nutjitsu has been submitted to Microsoft to be run through the console holder’s certification process, developer NinjaBee informed XBLA Fans this weekend at the PAX East video game convention in Boston.

Although games sometimes run into issues during certification that cause them to be rejected and resubmitted once those issues are resolved by the developer, NinjaBee Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Michael Purser says he expects Nutjitsu to release shortly on Xbox. Purser added that the studio is targeting a $5 price point for the game.

XBLA Fans was able to go hands-on with the title at PAX East, playing four of its 15 stages. Taking control of a ninja squirrel, we were required to either spend a specific amount of time on highlighted parts of the map in a king-of-the-hill-styled mode; collect acorns and deposit them into a sack; or pick up five scrolls to achieve victory.

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Did you know that video game music helps the brain by providing a stimulating background that doesn’t interfere with concentration? OK, I can’t prove that. I have no scientific evidence to back it up, but for some games, it seems like it just has to be true.

Xbox Live Arcade is home to some amazing games with some equally amazing music. Composers often sink days, months or even years into crafting the best musical experience for players – dedication that likely goes unnoticed, which sometimes is the whole point.

Sometimes, the best game music can serve as a stimulating background while studying, writing, reading or just doing some housework. Sometimes, you don’t want to notice the music or have it break your concentration. With that in mind, here are the top 10 XBLA soundtracks that serve as the best music to read, study, write or work to.

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Publisher NinjaBee games released a bundle of games that won’t sting your wallet. 1600 Microsoft points will get you a bundle of games released by the Utah-based indie studio on …
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If you scroll to the Games page on your dashboard, you can find a panel for “Microsoft Studios Sale” that includes a plethora of big XBLA Games. Some of our favorites like Dust: An Elysian Tale and Mark of the Ninja can both be picked up 600 MSP (50% off). You might also want to jump on the Trials bandwagon, because both the original Trials HD and Trials: Evolution can be picked up for 400 MSP and 800 MSP respectively.

The sale will be available until April 8th Here is the complete list of games, including a few extras that you won’t find in the dashboard (like Retro City Rampage). Here is the full list of what’s on sale: Read More

Microsoft’s annual Countdown Sale kicks off today (FYI – it’s Modern Warfare 3 today) and in addition to the 24-hour daily deals on offer, a whole host of XBLA …
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In a blog post he’s since deleted, Xbox Live Director of Programming, Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb, announced the “Countdown to 2013” sale for the marketplace. The sale, which begins on December 18 and runs through December 31, will see discounts for a raft of content from certain franchises and publishers on both XBLA and the wider marketplace.

Although the official page has been pulled, the folks over at NeoGAF managed to compile a reasonably comprehensive list of the titles to go on sale and the date their discounts will take effect. Unfortunately, Major Nelson never revealed the discounted prices at any stage. But if you hope to catch any of the games or DLC in the list below for cheap, it may pay to stock up on MSP!

However, the fact that the official page has been pulled (even though most of the details are out in the wild) has us at least a little concerned, so maybe try not to pin all your hopes and dreams on the “Countdown to 2013” sale.

The full list of currently known discounted XBLA items follows:

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This week sees two XBLA releases. Firstly Zombie Driver HD is released for 800 MSP, a game which sees players driving over hordes of zombies in a top-down world. …
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Following up last week’s Sugar, Spice, and Not So Nice downloadable expansion, A World of Keflings is getting yet another dose of digital content. The Curse of the Zombiesaurus delivers a brand new town, …
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Another busy week of XBLA sales sees Toy Soldiers and Toy Soldiers: Cold War along with their various add-ons being discounted in this week’s Deal of the Week. Those …
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