geometry-wars-retro-evolved-2 posts (Subscribe to this feed)

No joke, Bizarre just revealed that over 1 million players (how unique, we're not sure) have logged GeoWars scores since November 2005. It's an amazing accomplishment and something YOU should be a part of. Grab the XBLA good here and here.

Morgon over at MyGamerCard.net just sent word that they've released a new Geometry Wars 2 scorecard to their ever growing list of generated scorecard images, which means you can now gloat about your crazy high GeoWars2 scores on every forum, personal website or comment thread across the internets. That, or how absolutely embarrassing your GeoWars2 "skills" are. Whichever it is, this scorecard (which showcases your high scores and rank for all six gametypes) is rather nifty and something we'll constantly use to keep us motivated to get better at our XBLA geometry crack. Enjoy.

Update: This giveaway has since expired. Congratulations goes out to Mat, DiddlyKong and Dustin for winning Geometry Wars 2 goodness and a giant sad face to those who didn't win. :(

Today, thanks to the crew over at Bizarre Creations, we're bringing you a later than usual Fanswag giveaways where we're handing out three copies of Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2. Yes, you can haz Geometry Wars 2! Today's giveaway is going to be quick (entry ends tonight at 11:00PM eastern) and simple (just comment below to enter), because it's Friday and we wanna give out the Geometry Wars 2 goods without all the hassle. To enter, simply:

• Bizarre did a mighty fine job at making Geometry Wars look so darn colorful and beautiful. It's like an intensely lucid acid trip, but without all the bad acid side-effects. So, to enter today's giveaway, simply comment on this post telling us what your favorite color is. Easy!
  
• Only one comment per person will be accepted. Posters of multiple comments will be disqualified. We'll accept entries until 11:00PM eastern time today, August 15th, 2008. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. This giveaway is open only to residents of the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec).
  
• Later today, we'll pick three winners via a random drawing.
• Three winners will receive an Xbox Live redemption code to download Geometry Wars 2 worth $10.
  
• Complete giveaway rules can be found here

Bizarre just sent word that the Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 leaderboards are now live over on the official GeoWars website allowing you (or anyone else) to search for where a Gamertag's score ranks in the grand scheme of leaderboard life.

All six gametype leaderboards are searchable where you can also browse the all-time highest ranking scorers in the world. Viewing the record setting scores (1.6 billion in Pacifism, jeebuz!) is, of course, an extremely sobering realization that you really aren't that talented at Geometry Wars. That's why we've posted the record setting high scores after the break. Seeing such crazy high scores is sad, sort of depressing really. But we'll cover up our hurt and lack of confidence by playing the "at least I have a life" card.

Chatting with MTV Multiplayer, developers Stephen Cakebread and Craig Howard from Bizarre Creations discussed everything Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2, from their design decisions all the way through the little 3D debug view that was left in the game. But most interesting is Bizarre's commitment to Geometry Wars in the future, telling MTV Multiplayer that "Geometry Wars is definitely a franchise," and that "we have enough game ideas to do Geometry Wars for probably about 10 games. It depends on what will work." Currently, there's a small team at Bizarre actively working on future Geometry iterations, but specifics regarding what games and on which platforms is very hush-hush. We say, crank out the GeoWars! We want at least ten more games. All exclusive to the 360.

Courtesy of ModiusX11 from the official Geometry Wars 2 forums, we have a cool in-game Geometry Wars 2 trick for you to try the next time you play the game. At anytime during any of the six GeoWars2 single player modes, simply press the RB + Back buttons at the same time. What does it do? It insta-freezes the action and enables a really nifty (albeit hard to control) detached camera mode that allows you to roam around the Geometry Wars universe in 3D space. This little 3D freezing trick is actually a development tool that was used to help debug the game's graphics and was accidentally left in the final build. Doh! It's pretty useless in context of racking up a high score, but its screenshot and "WOW!" factor applications are nothing to scoff at.

Available for an 800 Microsoft point purchase (or free trial) off the Xbox Live Arcade is Bizarre Creations' true Geometry Wars sequel ever so rightly named Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2. And even though this sequel costs twice as much as its predecessor, know that it's packed with much more content. Content like six game modes including Deadline, King, Evolved, Pacifism, Waves and Sequence as well as new enemies, new power-ups and up to four player local co-op all in native 1080p. It's nearly a complete GeoWars experience if not for the missing Xbox Live co-op support. Oh well, we'll have to do without. Enjoy and have fun attempting to unlock the game's rather difficult achievements.

Just a tiny while ago, Microsoft dropped an Xbox Live Arcade OMG MEGATON bomb by announcing the release dates for all upcoming XBLA games through the end of August, including The Behemoths' Castle Crashers. Just to get it out of the way, Castle Crashers will be available for purchase starting Wednesday, August 27th. It's still a month away, but we can still express our over-enthusiastic enthusiasm ... OMG MEGATON JOY! You can view the complete and golden delicious August XBLA release schedule below as well as screenshots after the break.

Also, be aware that Microsoft will be sponsoring a "Summer of Arcade" giveaway all August long and awarding hundreds of thousands of Microsoft points to gamers who try the new XBLA lineup. Castle Crashers. August 27th. Need we say more?

• July 30th - Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2
• August 6th - Braid
• August 13th - Bionic Commando: Rearmed
• August 20th - Galaga Legions
• August 27th - Castle Crashers

The official Microsoft Gamerscore blog has just outlined how you'll be spending our weekly allowance for the next month. Five major Xbox Live Arcade titles are debuting over the next five weeks (that's one each week). Pause your game of Coffeetime Crosswords and check out the schedule:

• July 30: Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
• August 6: Braid
• August 13: Bionic Commando Rearmed
  
• August 20: Galaga Legions
• August 27: Castle Crashers

Only the previously-dated Geometry Wars 2 has a price at the moment (800 MS Points / US $10).

Gather round the children, roommates, significant other(s) and your favorite stuffed animals, because there's a whole bunch of new Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 in-game videos to watch. Take in all the colorful destruction, the geometry explosions, the four player (local) co-op and the general excitement that is Geometry Wars. There's more video goodness after the break, so we advise making your eyes happy and watching each and every video in their entirety.

What's the antonym for delay? Whatever the word, we're not used to using it around here. So when Bizarre Creations community lead Ben Ward let us know this morning that Geometry Wars 2 will be released on Xbox Live Arcade one week earlier than expected (next Wednesday!), we were at a loss for the word (of course, we could have settled along the lines of "bumped up," but opted instead for a geeky math-related term: realigned -- get it?). Ward also confirmed that the age of super-budget priced geometric space shooters is over, as we'll be paying 800 Microsoft Points ($10) this time (of course, the premium comes with a whole lot more game -- more on that in a minute).

In addition, Ward revealed that the Geometry Wars 2 trial version is "basically" the full Deadline game mode, including multiplayer support (up to four players locally). We've posted Bizarre's descriptions of Deadline and the 5 additional game modes, preserved in their original British flavour, after the break. (But before you read on ... FUN FACT: Geometry Wars 2 is the first Bizarre game published by proud, sorta new parent company Activision.)

During our sit-down, hands on session with Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, we learned a quite sad nugget of Geometry Wars 2 knowledge from the Microsoft folks: The game will NOT feature online co-op. Boo-hiss-boo! For the simple reason of too much going on to make co-op enabled online, Bizarre Creations will only allow four players to experience Geometry Wars 2 locally. Sad too, because we were all about destroying pieces of geometry with friends over Live. Lame! Lame! Lame!

Four polygonal ships rendered on the same screen ... at the same time?! On August 6, Bizarre will prove the impossible possible when Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 bursts onto Xbox Live Arcade. The sequel features a "remixed" version of the original game, along with 5 additional game modes: Waves (from PGR4), Pacifism (Achievement Evolved!), and newcomers King, Deadline, and Sequence. Each game mode supports up to 4 players locally (read: not online), for either 2-vs-2 or every polygon for itself gameplay. Additionally, GWRE2 will feature a Co-Pilots mode, where one player steers and the other shoots. As expected, all those particles still add up, as online leaderboards make a return -- hey K4rn4ge, you still got it?

Bizarre will reveal further details leading up to the game launch, including info on new enemy types and 12 new achievements -- and hopefully ... a price! 400 points, pretty please?

Inside MGC has posted what appears to be a list of Xbox 360 Achievements for an unannounced -- but not unheard of -- Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved sequel. It seems your neon-lit annihilation of sinister shapes will occur across several different modes this time (thanks, "Unlock All Modes" Achievement), including a "Waves" variant, a "Pacifism" setting and something called "Deadline." A time limit, perhaps?

Though Retro Evolved 2 has yet to be officially acknowledged, we're confident in our assertion that 200 Gamerpoints represent nothing but the icing on a delicious, octagonal cake. We can't wait to wreck 'tangles again.

[Via X3F]

Snooping through the Australian OFLC's video game ratings website, a new and totally unannounced video game full of geometry has been discovered, resulting in us being uber excited.

The OFLC just published a listing for Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 today, which is super great news, except for the fact it doesn't look to be a 360 exclusive. According to the listing, the game is being published by Activision (and being authored by them as well) rather then Bizarre Creations and is categorized to be "multi-platform". That's about all the info we can pull from this ratings post and it's great to hear that we'll be treated to a true sequel (Geometry Wars: Waves doesn't count), even though we have to share with non-360 gamers. Bring on the geometry!

[Via Game Stooge]