Gamertell

Title: Schizoid
Price: 800 Microsoft Points (US$10.00)
System(s): Xbox Live
Release Date: July 9, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Microsoft (Torpex Games)
ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for mild fantasy violence.
Pros: Fun and addictive two-player game with good particle effects and smooth controls. Single-player two-ship “Uberschizoid” mode.
Cons: Single-player CPU teammate is occasionally idiotic.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up; 91/100; A-; * * * * out of five. 

Schizoid is a game of dualities. First, the name implies that it is meant for a single player (remember that “schizoid personality disorder” is antisocial behavior where the person tries to be alone) yet is most definitely a two-player game. Also, it may be a killer two-player game but it also has an amazingly fun single-player mode where you control both of the game’s avatars with one controller.

It’s hectic, it’s confusing, it’s frustrating and it’s friggin’ fun.

Click through for the full review…

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Check out the gallery: Schizoid for Xbox Live screen shots

Title: Sea Life Safari
Price: 800 Microsoft Points (US$10)
System(s): Xbox Live
Release Date: June 18, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Sierra Online (Wanako)
ESRB Rating: “Everyone”
Pros: Some nice graphics and potentially entertaining for young gamers who like to collect stuff.
Cons: Too short, a bit too easy, promotes throwing stuff at fish and an awkward representation of photo judgment.
Overall Score: One thumb sideways, one thumb down; 69/100; D+; * 1/2 out of five.

Forget the breathing apparatus. Never mind chartering a potentially expensive boat. Don’t even worry about a stinky wetsuit. Sea Life Safari widdles down a tour of the colorful sea floor to a few voyeuristic minutes without the expensive hassles. Instead, you float around and simply take pictures of just about everything that moves and the entire game lasts about as long as your average diving cylinder.

Click through for the full review…

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Check out the gallery: Sea Life Safari for Xbox Live screen shots

Today (May 21, 2008) marks the release of the first episode of Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness. The episodic gaming series is available for download for Windows, Mac, and Linux from Greenhouse, or via Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360.

The game follows the stars of Penny Arcade, Tycho Brahe and Jonathan Gabriel, who work as paranormal investigators for the Startling Developments detective agency. Set in the fictional 1920s town of New Arcadia, OTRSPOD merges point-and-click adventure sensibilities with the…

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Title: Ikaruga
Price: 800 Microsoft Points (US$10)
System(s): Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: April 9, 2008, 9 am GMT
Developer: Treasure
ESRB Rating: “Everyone”
Pros: Fast-paced classic arcade action and amazing graphics. Single-player and offline two-payer modes rock.
Cons: Reaction time for switching polarity is a little slow and online games/connections tend to stutter.
Overall Score: One thumb up, one sideways; B+; 88/100; **** out of 5

Click through for the full review…

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For those of you who have decided to take my advice and download the Japanese arcade game Ikaruga for Xbox Live, here are a few tips that should help you enjoy the game…

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For all you completionists out there who feel the need to collect every possible point, below is the complete list of current Achievements for Xbox Live Arcade version of Ikaruga (available now for download).

Some gamers are speculating that there may be others that are unlocked as you play through the game, so if you catch/unlock/achieve any extras, please let us know. So far there are 200 possible points with the existing list…

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D3PA has just announced an all new expansion pack for addictive RPG-puzzler Puzzle Quest on XBLA. According to the press release, fans can expect plenty of new content, including 4 new hero professions, new items, quests, monsters, bosses and spells. Overall, players can expect about four more hours of gameplay. No price has been announced yet, though the release is due for spring 2008.

The company is also hosting a contest to name the revamped title. Interested fans can submit suggestions starting today at the game’s website. The contest runs through Friday, March 21, 2008 at noon PDT, and the winning title will be announced on April 2, 2008.

Read [GameLife]

In honor of the recently deceased (though some still have hope) Xbla port of the classic Nintendo 64 shooter, Cut/Scenes is taking a look at one of the greatest movie-to-game adaptations ever made: Goldeneye 007.

In 1995, MGM announced that Pierce Brosnan would be the next actor to fill the shoes of James Bond, the debonair super spy made famous in films that often rode the line between serious action and goofy antics (see: whacked out gadgets, nigh-insane character names). The film put newly minted Bond to work chasing the goldeneye satellite – a weapon with the capability to knock out entire cities, and set him against a new slew of challenges and shady bad guys. It was remarkably successful – critics praised the reinvented post-cold war, post-feminist Bond (and the thrilling action sequences) and it pulled in fantastic numbers at the box office. When the requisite videogame version was announced, barely anyone took notice.

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On February 9, 2008, the Devil May Cry 4 demo hit a million downloads on Xbox Live. According to Destructoid, Capcom is claiming that it’s the “fastest to that number in the history of Xbox Live”.

The 4th game in the combat-heavy third person action series, DMC 4 saw its demo version go live on January 24, 2008. One million DL’s in fewer than three weeks is quite the feat, though there really hasn’t been much competition on Xbla aside from Rez HD.

The game itself hit retail last week to a very warm reception: reviews have been positive, and Capcom is claiming that the game is a commercial hit as well. I can’t help but wonder if the PlayStation network numbers (for the demo) compare favorably. For that matter, it’d be quite interesting to see the sales breakdown for the retail versions (PS3 vs. Xbox 360).

Read [Destructoid]

Microsoft has announced the very first Xbox Live Arcade Awards to felicitate the developers who have created the 112 downloadable games for the service. Fans can now cast their vote to decide the winners in several important categories. The final nominees for each award were shortlisted by a panel of elite consumer and game journalists.

The voting is already underway and will close on Wednesday (January 30, 2008) at 11:59 p.m. PST. Not all categories are open for voting, though. You can cast your votes for…

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