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Welcome to our guide for all things Dust: An Elysian Tail! Dust is without doubt my pick of the games released on XBLA this summer and an all-around fantastic game. While it’s almost impossible that you haven’t heard of this game by now, definitely check out our review for the game.

Dust can be pretty challenging at times, with a few tough bosses to defeat and a whole host of hidden content. In an identical way to classic games such as Castlevania and Metroid, Dust expects that players will revisit previously completed levels in order to unlock new areas and secrets.

In this guide, I’ll be providing some general tips and some combat hints on this page as well as a boss guide (beware spoilers) and a guide for the Bakers Dozen achievement (for finding all the hidden characters) on separate pages.

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The Glade – Giants

The first boss encounter is quite an easy one, but it can be tough if you use the wrong tactics. First of all, you’ll be attacked by a single Giant and following a short cut scene, Dust will unlock the Parry skill. This is a big clue here, as unlikely as it seems, you can actually parry the Giants attacks. Just as the Giant pauses and begins his swing, hit X and hold it (timing is quite forgiving on normal/hard) to parry the attack. Once the Giant is stunned, you can hit him with two or three combos. Repeat this cycle until the Giant falls, unlocking the next stage of the battle. This time, Dust will need to face down two Giants. Repeat the same process of parrying and counter attacking, but take care not to get trapped between the Giants or to get caught when both of them swing at once. If you get into trouble, remember to use the dodge or jump whirlwind attack to get out of there.

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The Bakers Dozen Achievement is all about rescuing your favourite characters that have been hidden throughout the world of Dust: An Elysian Tail. Don’t forget that when you get to any one of the cages that these guys are imprisoned in, you will need four keys and some quick hands to beat the locks!

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Earlier this week, we reported on Microsoft’s plans to further monetize its already quite profitable Xbox LIVE service. At that time, it was anyone’s guess as to what that …
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Just yesterday we had a rumor about the Simpsons Arcade game possibly releasing next week. Well good news to fans, Konami has officially announced it will be coming to Xbox Live …
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Quarrel was developed by Denki and published by UTV Ignition Entertainment. It was released on January 25, 2012 for 400 MSP. A copy of the game was provided for review purposes.

The wildly popular word game Quarrel is finally available on the Xbox 360. We won’t get into specifics as to why it took so long for the game to finally arrive on the 360. But as both a game that test your knowledge of the English dictionary and patience, Quarrel provides a unique twist on word games with its strategic gameplay. With its cheap 400 MSP price tag, it’s also a steal for fans of word games.

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NFL Blitz was developed by EA Tiburon and published by EA Sports. It was released on January 4, 2011 for 1200 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

One of the most beloved video game franchises of all-time is back. Although EA now has the right to the license, it means it’s being developed by a studio that knows how to make football games. EA Tiburon has tried to make a full-featured product, packed with several online game modes. This does not mean the newest NFL Blitz in the series is perfect. While it’s not riddled with bugs or glitches, it seems like a much more laid back NFL Blitz experience. Which is unlike the crazy atmosphere that usually surrounded past games in the franchise.

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Last week we told you about the co-op features that will be in the new iteration of NFL Blitz. Well this week, it’s all about “Elite Leagues”. The third and “deepest” online mode. Very reminiscent of the Ultimate Team mode in Madden NFL, Elite Leagues looks to add a little more arcade flare. You’ll be able to use the “Blitz Bucks” you’ve earned from online games to buy card packs that will contain new players and power ups for your team. Both players and power up have contracts that will deplete after every game. Using your Blitz Bucks, you’ll be able to renew that players or power ups contract. Pro Players and Ultimate players feature infinite contracts, and can be received by trading in a full team of cards. It looks as though Elite Leagues takes what’s great in the Ultimate Team mode in Madden NFL, and what’s great in NFL Blitz, and makes a fun, addicting mode for gamers. More information about the mode can be seen below.

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BurgerTime World Tour was developed by MonkeyPaw Games and produced by Konami Digital Entertainment. It was released November 2, 2011 for 800 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

BurgerTime World Tour is a remake of the classic 80’s platformer starring the lovable chef Peter Pepper. The simple concept of making a burger while platforming was intriguing and something no one had honestly really even thought of. In this remake all the classic features that made the original are back: building burgers, evil sausages, killer eggs, jumping pickles and more. As Peter Pepper (or your Xbox Live avatar) you must travel through several large 3D environments across several cities. Also included are boss battles and both local and online multiplayer.

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A few months ago the new iteration of NFL Blitz was revealed, but little was known about the reboot. Over the last few weeks we’ve received more and more details about the game via the “Blitz two-minute drills” videos. This week, NFL Blitz Designer, Yuri Bialoskursky, took to the NFL Blitz blog to let us know about the co-op modes featured in the game. With two modes, “Blitz Teams” and “Online co-op”, both detailed in the video above, the newest version of NFL Blitz wants you to play the game with friends, and that’s perfectly fine with us.

• Blitz Teams – Allows you to both create and customize a team with logos and banners from the “Blitz Store”. From there you can invite a friend to either be the co-owner of the team, or to just be a teammate. You can use your teammate as a safety net: By pressing the friendly pass button (LB), the ball will automatically be passed to your co-op partner. Taking your team to the top of the “Battle Boards” and into the Hall of Fame is your ultimate goal.

• Online Co-Op – The same great gameplay that’s featured in Blitz Teams, but in this mode, you don’t have to worry about creating a team. You can choose to quick co-op if you just want to play some freakin’ NFL Blitz, or you can invite up to three friends to play co-op with you. You can also invite a friend if you just want to play co-op against the computer.