Rocketbowl coming to XBLA in September

A refreshing twist on a classic sport, RocketBowl™ offers a 50’s style retro-futuristic vibe, out-of-this-world courses and rocket-powered bowling balls; Rocket Bowl rolls a perfect game of fun on the Xbox360™ LIVE® Arcade. Players will compete in tournaments, challenge their friends in multiplayer, test their bowling skills and more!

KEY FEATURES:

• Rocket-Powered Bowling Balls – RocketBowl takes the sport to a whole other level with rocket powered balls that can boost, jump and turn to help players knock down the pins and earn extra points with wild shots.

• 10 Crazy Bowling Courses – In addition to a regular bowling alley, RocketBowl features 9 crazy courses filled with ramps, tunnels, loops, hills, curves and more to create a bowling experience like never before.

• Fun and Varied Single-Player Mode – Single-player RocketBowl allows players to take on the variety of courses in Free Play mode; or challenge the course pros in Tournament and Challenge modes, where they can wager and win money to upgrade their equipment.

• Exciting Multiplayer Matches – Up to 4 friends can compete against each other over Xbox LIVE or locally on one system. Xbox LIVE play features Player (unranked) and Ranked matches.

• Upgrade Your Equipment – Using cash earned by winning matches players can upgrade from more than 15 unique bowling balls including Strawbally, 8-Ball, the Jupiter 5000 and the Kalamazoo Special – more powerful bowling balls feature enhanced boost and curve abilities.

Meteos Wars coming out on XBLA in Japan

1up is reporting that Meteos Wars, a console port of the very popular Q Entertainment DS title Meteos, is coming out on XBLA in Japan in October. This port will include "a new multiplayer experience". It has not been announced for anywhere else outside Japan.

Duke Nuken 3D coming to XBLA "sometime in September", adds film feature and rewind gameplay

Joystiq is reporting that Duke Nukem 3D has passed Microsoft certification, and will be released on Xbox Live Arcade "sometime in September".

They are also reporting that the game is going to have a saved film feature [where you can record bits of gameplay from multiplayer matches and send them to your friends], as well as gameplay rewind feature, a la Braid.

Castle Crashers priced at 1200 MS points

From the Castle Crashers dev blog:

"The price for Castle Crashers will be 1,200 Microsoft points. This month’s only online multiplayer XBLA game launches on Wednesday, August 27th, 2008, so get ready to grab some friends and prepare to smash stuff!"

This is obviously going to cause controversy, seeing as games like Braid and Penny Arcade Adventures were similarly priced. But, play the demo and judge for yourself.

Invalid Fable 2: Pub Game pre-order codes

For those of you who pre-ordered Fable 2 and got codes to get the Pub Games for free aren't going to be happy to read this.

According to many people on the internet, and places like the Xbox forums, as well as comments on Major Nelson's blog, are having trouble redeeming their Pub Games code. When they put in the code, they get an error message that reads "Invalid code".

But, according to Joystiq, Microsoft is aware of the problem, and they are issuing new working codes within the next 24 - 48 hours.

Mega Man 9 achievements are strictly for the hardcore

Most people know that the Mega Man games are tough. But, with the release of Mega Man 9 on XBLA comes the achievements, and boy, they look ridiculous.

Some of the amazing things that you'd have to do to get these achievements include:

+ Invincible - Clear the game without dying.
+ Jitterbug - Clearing the game in an hour.
+ Gamer's Day - Clear the game five times in one day.

Think you're up to the challenge?

Braid is now the highest rated XBLA game

Braid has only been out for less than a week, five days to be exact, and it is already receiving universal acclaim by gamers and reviewers alike, despite its controversial $15 price tag.

But, to a lot of people's surprise, the game exceeded most expectations. According to the official Braid blog, the game is now "the highest rated game" for XBLA, with a 92/100 from both Metacritic and GameRankings. The blog also mentions that the wildly popular and addicting Geometry Wars 2 is second highest, with a 90/100.

But, as if that wasn't enough, Braid is in the 10th highest ranked game for the 360 on Metacritic, among the ranks of such amazing titles as GTA4, Bioshock, Gears of War, Oblivion, and Rock Band. The blog jokingly says that if they get one more point on the Metacritic rating, they will jump to 8th, surpassing Guitar Hero 2 and Rock Band.

vgcharts has also reported that the game has sold an astonishing 28,500 units in three days. It has beat out Rez HD in opening weekend sales by 3,000 units.

CAPCOM®'S 1942: JOINT STRIKE IS NOW AVAILABLE ON PLAYSTATION®Network and Xbox LIVE® Arcade!

Capcom® Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that 1942: Joint Strike is now available for download on PLAYSTATION®Network and Xbox LIVE® Arcade. 1942: Joint Strike is rated Teen by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and is available for 800 Microsoft Points or $9.99 on PLAYSTATION®Network.

1942: Joint Strike takes inspiration and influence from the ‘80s 194X series of World War II-themed vertical arcade shooters. The art, sound and gameplay of the new game take cues from the original 194X games, but will stand out as its own unique entry. Gameplay will resemble the classic top down, vertical action that gamers expect, but enhanced with High Definition 3D graphics. Set in a World War II-themed locale, stages, vehicles and weapons have the look and feel of WWII with some stylistic differences.

The world in which 1942 takes place is not our own and the events that transpire are not historically accurate, nor are they intended to be. This is an alternate world where history and technology developed along their own paths. As a result, players will jump into the cockpits of WWII-era aircraft to take on huge waves of incoming enemy fire, dodging explosions and missiles while challenging huge bosses at the end of each stage. New co-op “Joint Strike attacks” combine the powers of two aircrafts into one devastating barrage.

The new 1942: Joint Strike features 2-player online cooperative play. Graphics and music have been similarly updated by Backbone Entertainment, the developers of this latest entry into the 194X series. There’s also a brand new score for the game created by Norihiko Hibino, an international composer well-known for his work creating music for the Metal Gear® series.

For more information, visit: http://www.capcomdigital.com

1942 Joint Strike and Go! Go! Break Steady coming this Wednesday to XBLA!

Take on DJ Scruffy and the Beatniks in this combination rhythm and puzzle game. Featuring original gameplay, a unique visual style, and six amazing characters breakdancing to 20 finger-tapping songs, Go! Go! Break Steady is the ultimate hybrid of two popular and challenging genres. Will Hydro and his "All City Crew" become the Break Steady Tournament Champs and take home the most prizes? The answer depends on your own rhythm and smarts. Play it solo, team up with your friends, or play online to see who has the real Break Steady "skillz!" The cost will be 800 msp ($10.00)

* Innovative game: This original game combines the best of the music and puzzle game genres.
* Music and dance: The game features a unique visual style with characters break dancing to the beats of twenty new songs.
* Multiplayer: Enjoy both multiplayer versus and cooperative local and multiplayer modes.
* Independent design: The game is the debut title from Vancouver-based independent game studio Little Boy Game

In a parallel world reminiscent of our own WW II era, pilots take to the skies with stylized aircraft carriers and devastating weaponry. Inspired by the popular eighties arcade series, 1942: Joint Strike combines classic top-down vertical shooting with updated 3-D HD graphics.

Take on massive waves of incoming enemies while dodging explosions and missiles, as you face off with huge enemy bosses in death-defying dogfights. Recruit a wingman locally or online to pull off new "Joint Strike" attacks, combining the powers of both aircraft in one explosive barrage. With new weapons and power-ups in your arsenal, prepare to rejoin the battle! The cost will be 800 msp ($10.00)

• Updated classic: Experience classic arcade style gameplay with 3-D hi-def graphics.
• Co-op play: Team up for new Joint Strike attacks, weapons, and power ups. Use your wingman for two-player local or online missions.

1942 Joint Strike coming to XBLA

Capcom and Backbone Entertainment are bringing the arcade classic remake to the Xbox Live Arcade on Wednesday July 23rd. The game will cost 800 msp ($10.00).