Another twofer this week, as XBLA adds a fighting game and a turn-based strategy game to its ever-growing ranks. From SNK's huge library of fighting games, we have King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match. The XBLA version includes online play and will set you back 800 ($10). Meanwhile, Team17 has dropped the sequel to the XBLA version of Worms, which is titled, appropriately enough, Worms 2: Armageddon. The game brings lots of new features to the table -- as well as some old favorites -- and also costs 800 ($10).

Watch the latest episode of XBLA in Brief and see which one is screaming for your hard-earned cash.

Download the trial version of King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match
Download the trial version of Worms 2: Armageddon

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While we were ready to believe that online co-op in the Xbox Live Arcade release of Trine was "speculation," we'll admit, we were pretty taken aback to hear the developer refer to the XBLA release itself as "speculation" as well. While Trine's would-be XBLA publisher at Atlus issued a terse "no comment," we got a hold of the developers at Frozenbyte, whose Lauri Hyvärinen had this to say:

An XBLA version of Trine is a possibility but nothing more at present time. We would love to have Trine on XBLA and we've partnered with Atlus to make it happen, but it needs Microsoft's approval and there are other factors as well. So it may happen or it may not, that's really the current situation. Everything else ranging from release date to features is just speculation and isn't based on any facts.

As soon as we know more we will also inform everyone else :)

So, there you have it. Microsoft needs to approve the game and Frozenbyte has to address "other factors" (we don't think online co-op is required – Bionic Commando Rearmed lacks online support for its co-op mode). But don't keep your feelings bottled up inside (you can get sick that way, y'know?). Share them with us in our handy poll, which is awaiting your input just after the break.

It's been awhile since we've heard anything "official" regarding Quake Arena Arcade, the Xbox Live Arcade port of Quake III Arena. For example, we just found out that "Quake Arena Arcade" is the title of the game! First announced nearly two years ago at QuakeCon 2007, the Pi Studios-developed title was MIA until John Carmack told Joystiq in February that the title was "very close" to being finished.

Now, with the power of Twitter at its side, Pi Studios has ushered the very first screenshot of the game into this world. Sure, it's a pretty boring menu screen; however, the more astute amongst you will notice things like: new levels! "Cliffside"? That looks awfully bright and airy compared to the Quake III Arena we remember (see: Arena Gate). Pi Studios' site has some more details on the game: 40 Arenas in single and multiplayer; 16-player multiplayer; leaderboards, matchmaking; and oodles of game modes, including "Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Tournament, Harvester and Overload."

So, "very close" eh? We don't see it in this here Summer of Arcade post ... maybe QuakeCon will bring more news.

[Via Gamerbytes]

Source – Quake Arena Arcade page at PiStudios.com
Source – @QuakeXBLA

So, remember how NinjaBee teased us with fireball-tossing Avatars last week? It turns out that the developer isn't creating a brand new Avatar game after all. Instead, NinjaBee is adding Avatar support to its turn-based strategy game, Band of Bugs. Yeah, it's not as exciting as the Avatar fighting game of our dreams, but it might be enough to make us blow the digital dust off of the XBLA title. Players will be able to use their Avatars in both the single-player campaign and in Spider Hunter multiplayer mode. The Avatar support will be coming as a free update on July 8.

In addition to Avatar support, NinjaBee is also set release an entirely new campaign for Band of Bugs entitled Tales of Kaloki, though it's very different from traditional DLC. Instead of simply expanding Band of Bugs, Tales of Kaloki actually plays like an entirely new game set in a different universe with different characters. Rather than pitting bugs against one another, players will control spaceships -- which utilize new weapons and abilities -- and try to blast their enemies out of the sky. And, judging from the above image, you can also wreak urban havoc with your Avatar.

As the title implies, Tales of Kaloki is based on another NinjaBee XBLA game, Outpost Kaloki X. The DLC will be available July 8 for 240 ($3). NinjaBee will also be releasing a Band of Bugs dashboard theme on the same day for the same price.

Check out screens of Tales of Kaloki and Avatars in Band of Bugs in the galleries below.

Now, NinjaBee, seriously ... about that fighting game ....

Anatomy of confusion:

1. At E3 earlier this month, Atlus announces that they'll be publishing Frozenbyte's very impressive co-op platformer Trine on Xbox Live Arcade.
2. Primotech is purportedly told by an Atlus representative at E3 that the Xbox Live Arcade release will feature online co-op as well as offline. Neither the PC nor PSN versions, both of which are being released much sooner than the XBLA version, will feature online co-op.
3. Shacknews links Primotech's assertion, and Joystiq in turn links that.
4. Developer Frozenbyte takes to the forums to clear the confusion, stating that "The XBLA version and its features is just speculation at this point."

Wait, what? "The XBLA version ... is just speculation at this point"?

Developer fb_joel writes, "... as developers, we would love as many people as possible to be able to play our games and therefore I hope Trine will eventually find its way to XBLA too." So, not only is Frozenbyte stating that online co-op in the Xbox Live Arcade version is "speculation" but that the XBLA release itself is speculation as well! We bet Atlus wishes someone told them that at E3!

The developer later said, "On the actual topic I will not comment as no-one knows anything about XBLA at this point, and I really hope when some people do know, I would be one of them." Yeah, we're right there with you. GamerBytes reported from E3 that Trine "hasn't been given the official nod from Microsoft for concept approval, and therefore Atlus are unable to send out press releases or other information about the game." That may explain why, when contacted for this story, Atlus responded with a very terse "no comment." We've reached out to Frozenbyte as well, and will update this story accordingly.

[Update: We've heard from Frozenbyte's Lauri Hyvärinen and here's what they say: "An XBLA version of Trine is a possibility but nothing more at present time. We would love to have Trine on XBLA and we've partnered with Atlus to make it happen, but it needs Microsoft's approval and there are other factors as well. So it may happen or it may not, that's really the current situation. Everything else ranging from release date to features is just speculation and isn't based on any facts. As soon as we know more we will also inform everyone else :)

So, there you have it. Trine on XBLA is not a sure thing. There, there ... it'll be okay.]


[Via Shacknews]

Just shy of its official release on Xbox Live Arcade, Team17 has dropped plenty of details and a big ol' pile of screens for Worms 2 Armageddon, out tomorrow for 800 ($10). First up, there are lots of new weapons in Worms 2, some of them are brand new, while others are returning favorites from other installments in the series. Fans will be happy to know that the Concrete Donkey is back (as is his nemesis, the Buffalo of Lies[?]). The game also includes bunker buster bombs which, true to their name, are used to take out cowardly worms that have burrowed deep, deep out of harm's way.

As we've mentioned before, the game also brings persistent fire, which is utilized in weapons like napalm and the petrol bomb. The game includes a handful of new modes too, such as Fort Mode -- which sets each team's worms in opposing bases instead of placing them randomly -- and Rope Race Mode. Another addition that might not sound too sexy but, trust us, it's important: Host migration for network play. The game also introduces vertical levels, which are tall and narrow, as opposed to the traditional wide levels.

All in all, it sounds like Worms 2 Armageddon is packing plenty of punch. Check out new screens in the gallery below and two trailers after the break.

XBLA is dropping a holy hand grenade's worth of violence this week with Worms 2: Armageddon and King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match. Whether you're into vertebrate or spineless carnage, the entry fee to these glorious celebrations of hurt will cost 800 ($10) apiece.

Armageddon brings some upgrades to the original Worms XBLA title, so definitely check it out if you're a fan of the series. As for KOF98, the game is about $10 cheaper than the PS2 release, and does support online play -- but there's never a guarantee on how that'll go.

Worried about news that Capcom's Bionic Commando Rearmed was getting patched with Trophy support as well as new difficulty levels on PlayStation Network, with no mention at all of an Xbox Live Arcade patch? We feared the worst and asked Capcom to set us straight. A spokesperson told us, "Yes yes of course, same new Easier modes on both platforms." There you have it!

Eleven days ago Capcom's John Diamonon assured us that the patch (at least on PSN) "should be available real soon"; however, as of today, neither patch has appeared. We'll go ahead and assume the new release date is "really really soon."

Speaking to the Guardian, Craig Derrick, producer of The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition, said that the game may make the jump from XBLA and PC to another platform as well. When asked about why LucasArts chose Xbox Live Arcade as the launch platform and not Wiiware or PSN, Derrick responded, "Well, we never said we wouldn't be on Wiiware or PSN now did we?" He added, "We may have another platform announcement to make very, very soon," though he failed to elaborate any further on the matter.

Derrick also seemed to share the sentiments of some other folks involved with both the Special Edition and the upcoming Tales of Monkey Island from Telltale, saying that he'd like to see a redone version of Monkey Island 2. He noted that Monkey Island Special Edition is an "experiment to see what interest there is for these types of games and if people are interested in playing them on a console." In other words, whether or not we see another revamped LucasArts adventure game depends on how well the Monkey Island sells.

We're sure the Joystiq staff will buy at least one copy, if that helps ....

Hey, remember when we gave away all those codes of Battlefield 1943 just after E3 and there was a bit of confusion surrounding when you could use them -- er, ya know, actually play the game? Don't worry, we were confused too, but according to June's official EA Newsletter, the long awaited online shooter from DICE will be hitting your digital store shelves on July 9th.

Interestingly, the game description no longer lists a PC version, making the delayed iteration of Battlefield 1943 that much less of a possibility -- a strange one at that, considering the franchise's PC roots. Either way, those of you that snagged codes for the game back in early June should start getting ready for battle by talking to our friends in the JPAG and setting up a game night. Talk about two tastes that taste great together.

Update: DICE producer Gordon Van Dyke said today on EA's UK forums that "We are close to confirming our dates (Xbox 360 date & PS3 date), but still need to settle a few minor things." Looks as though the release date listed in the newsletter is still unconfirmed, unfortunately. Sorry, folks -- and thanks to everyone who sent this in!

[Thanks, Iain!]

Further clarifying reports from nearly two months ago surrounding the release of Marvel vs Capcom 2 on XBLA/PSN, Capcom's Twitter account is putting the game's digital release "closer to the end of July." Oddly enough, the statement claims to not know where the "rumor" came from, though Marvel Entertainment's Q1 2009 financial report (sourced below) was clearly the culprit.

In the month or so you have before the game releases, you should probably head over to Shoryuken's MvC2 forums to find out how badly you're going to get stomped online. And yes, you will get stomped. We all will.

Source -- Marvel Q1 2009 Report [Warning: PDF Link]

Following the sale of Gamecock to Southpeak last October, merry pranksters – and co-founders of both Gamecock and Gathering of Developers – Mike Wilson and Harry Miller have re-emerged as Devolver Digital. Devolver Digital is described as "a brand new production and publishing company based in Austin, Texas, specialising in delivering top quality entertainment to gamers worldwide at affordable prices by any and all means available."

First spotted by Big Download this morning, tucked away in the Serious Sam XBLA remake news, Wilson confirmed his and Miller's involvement in the startup telling our sister site, "We're basically acting as the production company for the XBLA game, since we are not an official MSFT publisher yet, and will be publishing the PC version of the games." Video game historians will recall that Gathering of Developers published the original Serious Sam in 2001 and Croteam retains the intellectual property rights, giving them the ability to work with Wilson and Miller on this latest incarnation of the blow-up-big-things simulator. Majesco is serving as publisher of the XBLA release, which will be released "late summer" for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15).

Square Enix has released some brand new DLC for its saccharine puzzler, Yosumin Live. Called "Yosumin Adventure," the content has players traveling "the world to recover the pieces of a beautiful stained-glass window." That's just precious, which is in keeping with the game's already colorful presentation. According to Siliconera, the content adds a full 180 stages to the game. At only 80 ($1), we'd say it's a steal for Yosumin fans.

Add "Yosumin Adventure" to your Xbox 360 download queue.

[Via Siliconera]

The Xbox 360 is, of course, a great system for new first-person-shooters, but with XBLA re-releases of games like Doom, Wolfenstein 3D, and Duke Nukem 3D, it's also becoming the system of choice for classic FPS games. Now Croteam is working on an XBLA version of Serious Sam, called, unsurprisingly, Serious Sam HD.

Publisher Majesco told Eurogamer that the remake, which will "re-imagine The First Encounter," will be available on XBLA late this summer for 1,200 Microsoft Points. The new version will include four-player online co-op.

Though we look forward to blowing up stuff with abandon, we are a bit concerned that this news could mean that the "next Serious Sam FPS game" to which Croteam's CEO referred is actually the first one again.

Update: cdv Software Entertainment AG has confirmed to VideoGamer that the game will also be appearing on PC.

This week on XBLA in Brief, we take the trial versions of both Droplitz and Garou: Mark of the Wolves for a spin. Droplitz is a puzzle game that involves turning lots of dials so that the game's titular droplets make it safely to the bottom of the screen. Garou -- known as Fatal Fury outside of Japan -- is a fighting game from the fine folks at SNK. Watch the latest episode of our XBLA series above and decide if either game is worth your 800 ($10).

Download the trial version of Droplitz
Download the trial version of Garou: Mark of the Wolves

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