XBLA Threefer this week: Shred Nebula, PvN Dodgeball, Gin Rummy

by Richard Mitchell { Sep 2nd 2008 at 4:00PM }

This week on Xbox Live Arcade we get not one, not two, but three new games. Lined up in a row -- like so many ducks -- we have:

Shred Nebula (800 / $10)
Pirates vs Ninjas Dodgeball (800 / $10)
Gin Rummy (400 / $5)

Shred Nebula is a space shooter that utilizes strafing mechanics instead of the twin-stick format we've become used to in games like Geometry Wars. It also boasts online dogfights for 8 players. Pirates vs Ninjas Dodgeball is ... um ... dodgeball. It now sports three different gameplay modes -- in addition to the single-player story mode -- and can be played by up to 8 players. Finally, there's Gin Rummy, which is ... Gin Rummy. It supports 4 players online and contains six different versions of Rummy.

Will any of these wind up on your digital shelf?

Gallery: Pirates Vs. Ninjas Dodgeball (XBLA)

Gallery: Shred Nebula (XBLA)

Source -- Shred Nebula on Xbox.com
Source -- Pirates vs Ninjas Dodgeball on Xbox.com
Source -- Gin Rummy on Xbox.com (not live as of this posting)

Tags: arcade, gin-rummy, live-arcade, pirates-vs-ninjas, pvn-dodgeball, shred-nebula, xbla, xbox-live-arcade

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

MC Double Def DP @ Sep 2nd 2008 4:10PM

I think castle crashers will be on the top of my XBLA list for a little bit longer.

Jonman @ Sep 2nd 2008 4:11PM

None of the above. I'm still waiting for Castle Crashers to get patched so I can actually play it online.

*humph*

MC Double Def DP @ Sep 2nd 2008 5:13PM

I haven't been following the online problems with CC so pardon my ignorance if I'm stating the obvious, but have you set your network config to open NAT?

Dishwasher @ Sep 2nd 2008 6:25PM

Its more than a NAT issue. This is a widespread problem. You just can not get in a game.

Magic Whiskey @ Sep 2nd 2008 4:24PM

I'm going to continue lambasting Richard in Castle Crashers, personally. :) Oh, sure..busy week because of PAX, blah blah blah...

joeybeast @ Sep 2nd 2008 4:32PM

Purple Cobras....

SABCA @ Sep 2nd 2008 4:55PM

PvN sounds like a fun arena-battle game that just HAPPENS to have dodgeball in it. As is to say, it sounds like it could be fun, whether you like dodgeball or not.

Shred Nebula looks very well designed, sounds to offer alot of well thought-out features, and actually sounds like it'll have DEPTH. Sounds like a cult classic waiting to happen.

Gin Rummy? Yay? Heh heh, well this appeases the 400 point crowd, and I'll give it a shot...

I still think Poker Smash was a pretty fun game. I wish the let you use more than 1 skin in the offline VS mode. That simple feature took the Multiplayer-with-physical-friends aspect of the game a lot less appealing than it should have been... especially since I loved the various songs and stage designs in the game so much.

Michael Paul @ Sep 2nd 2008 5:06PM

So is [img]http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/xbox.joystiq.com/media/2007/11/microsoftpointslogosmall.gif [/img] the Official symbol for Microsoft Points now? I would have picked something more P-ish...

AoE @ Sep 2nd 2008 6:40PM

Yeah, it's the offical symbol now... but then, it's been the official symbol since they rolled out MS points... late to the party much?

Jonman @ Sep 2nd 2008 6:06PM

@ MC DoubleDef

It's a perfectly valid question, but yes, my NAT is Open. I haven't got to the point of running an Ethernet cable the length of my apartment to see if taking the wifi out of the loop aids it yet. It shouldn't as all the other games work just fine online.

Vcize @ Sep 2nd 2008 6:36PM

I have an open NAT with a wired connection and have been having the problems as well. It doesn't bother me that much (the levels are short enough that restarting them isn't a big deal) except that sometimes it loses your leveling/gold progress which can go back an hour or more....if you can stay connected that long.

AoE @ Sep 2nd 2008 6:46PM

Eugh, I'm probably alone in this, but I cannot stand the British game developer take on the anime/manga art style. Sudeki was i think where I first encountered it, and it made me want to claw my eyes out. Arcadian Warriors on XBLA was the next major British developer bastardization of the style I ran into... and now PvN Dodgeball... which I would love to give a shot... but they ruined it with that awful art.

And British game devs or would-be game devs reading this... PLEASE, just stop it! If you really really feel that your game absolutely MUST have an anime style to it... hire an artist from another country; I don't know why you guys always blow the anime/manga style, but you do... it's clearly NOT meant for your hands, I am sorry.