Super Meat Boy, Comic Jumper, Pinball FX 2, and Hydrophobia compose first autumnal counterpart to popular Summer of Arcade program; Plants vs. Zombies, Sonic Adventure to be pre-promotion appetizers.
Microsoft's Summer of Arcade downloadable game promotion ended barely two weeks ago, and the company is already working on its next seasonal celebration of digitally distributed titles. The company today revealed its Game Feast promotion, a four-week run of high-profile Xbox Live Arcade titles that will kick off later this month and culminate with the October 20 launch of Independent Games Festival grand prize nominee Super Meat Boy.
The first course of Microsoft's Game Feast arrives September 29 with the debut of Hydrophobia. Developed by Dark Energy Digital (Inferno Pool), Hydrophobia shows off the company's HydroEngine, billed as "the world's first true fluid dynamics engine for games." The game puts players in the role of Kate Wilson, a security officer on board a giant floating city at sea where the world's powerful have secluded themselves from the crumbling land-bound society around them.
October 6 will see Twisted Pixel Games' Comic Jumper land on Live Arcade. Having established itself with The Maw and last year's Summer of Arcade standout Splosion Man, Twisted Pixel's next game will follow the adventures of appropriately named protagonist Captain Smiley as he leaps into different comic books in an attempt to set right plotlines gone wrong. The journey will see Smiley traverse a quartet of comic styles through 11 2D and 3D levels, with an assortment of eight additional challenge missions and unlockables to keep gamers playing.
The Game Feast isn't big on reheated offerings, with Zen Studios' Pinball FX 2 being the only sequel of the group. The free download will hit Xbox Live Arcade October 13 and allow players to download and sample four new tables. Those who already own the original Pinball FX will also be able to import that game's tables into the sequel, where they will receive new achievements and visual updates.
The fourth and final Game Feast title will be Team Meat's 2D platformer Super Meat Boy. Also announced for the Wii, Super Meat Boy sees the protein-rich protagonist attempt to save his girlfriend from the clutches of a nefarious tuxedo-clad fetus in a jar. What the game lacks in vegan-friendly options, it might make up for in portion size. Super Meat Boy will feature more than 300 levels in the game's story mode, as well as cameos from the stars of indie games like Alien Hominid, Braid, the bit.trip games, and more.
Microsoft also detailed a number of Xbox Live Arcade releases to tide gamers over until the fall Feast promotion. September 8 will see the arrival of PopCap Games' multiplatform tower defense hit Plants vs. Zombies and Dance! It's Your Stage, followed on September 15 by Sega's HD rerelease of the Dreamcast launch title Sonic Adventure.
This isn't the first time Microsoft has attempted to extend its Summer of Arcade formula to another season. In March, the company ran a Block Party promotion that saw the release of offerings like Perfect Dark and the Game Room downloadable retro game depository.
A full list of the games, release dates, and prices announced follows below.
September 8
Plants vs. Zombies--1,200 Microsoft points ($15)
Dance! It's Your Stage--800 Microsoft points ($10)
September 15
Sonic Adventure--800 Microsoft points ($10)
September 29
Hydrophobia--1,200 Microsoft points ($15)
October 6
Comic Jumper--1,200 Microsoft points ($15)
October 13
Pinball FX 2--Free (tables purchased individually)
October 20
Super Meat Boy--Pricing to be determined
Brendan Sinclair has been a games journalist since 1999. His tastes are eclectic, though he has a definite affinity for games with arcade roots. He's Canadian, but has also been at home in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, and San Francisco.
@XanderZane As much as you think your "funds are going to the developers", you are wrong. Microsoft gets more then 50% of the money it makes since it is an XBLA. The only reason it isn't 5 dollars, like it is on steam, is because Microsoft would't make as much money.
@nissanmaxima Well that good for you, buddy! /sarcasm Look, like I said I'm a gamer. I love gaming as a whole that's been me for over 20+ yrs I've been doing it. So what if I don't Xbox or if I do or don't ever get one--I have many gamer friends and associates who do. Oh wait, gee am I not suppose to have friends who own 'other consoles', too? Anyways, I read about all aspects of gaming b/c I want to and like to be informed (and educated), simple as that. But I can catch the tone of your writing that you're slightly on-broader of being on the fanboy (or fangirl) level or you're just to young to get it. I don't expect you understand my reasoning, but hey you asked I answered.
"Super Meat Boy sees the protein-rich protagonist attempt to save his girlfriend from the clutches of a nefarious tuxedo-clad fetus in a jar" sounds like a great twisted game..... haven't seen a really decent one since the days of Earthworm Jim.
@thumbsdown01x I don't have a Wii and not planing to get one anytime soon. Sega needs to fire everyone at Sonic team and get better people to do sonic games! that whats needs to happen. NOW!
@pumpkinboogie i dont look at nothing for the PS3 cause i dont own one. since i dont own one i dont care what sony has coming out or is gonna do. CAUSE I HAVE NO INTENTION OF EVER BUYING A SONY CONSOLE. who cares about being a gamer and wanting to know (stay informed). I DONT WANT TO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE PS3 CAUSE I WILL NEVER BUY ONE. seeing how u dont have a xbox360 and prob wont buy one why do you care what microsoft is doing?
@RitsukoEX I just read that Sonic Colors is on Nintendo Wii. So us Xbox fans have to wait until 2011 or 2012 for our 3d Sonic game. And did you hear? They changed the writers for new Sonic games as of 2010. So the story may be different now!
@RitsukoEX I heard that there is a new Sonic game called Sonic Colors. I heard that in that game, you can play as Sonic, and Sonic only. No interruptions, no treasure hunting. Just Sonic only. So, Sonic Colors may be better than Sonic Adventure 2 if you can play as Sonic with no interruptions!
Plants versus zombies is a bit high in price but its a great game. They are also adding a bunch of new features to the xbox 360 version. If you dont think its worth 1200msp just dont buy it!
Rootbeer95 I got Plant of Zombies for $5 on Steam. Another prime example of Microsoft's ripping their consumer off. ******************************************************* Does it have achievements? lol!! Yeah.. the price is a bit higher, but we hope a lot of the funds are going to the developers so they can make more games. You think they developer is making much from your $5? I actually don't mind paying a little extra if it keeps these development studios up and running.
@thumbsdown01x the thing is! you gonna have to play with ALL THE CHARACTERS to unlock Super Sonic! to me and alot of orthers Sonic Advnture 2 is the better game!..besides Sonic runs a hell lot faster in Sonic Adventure 2!!!
Another outstanding lineup from Microsoft. Kudos to them for continuing to be the trend setter.
@ Rootbeer9 I got it for £1.60 for my iPhone at the weekend good game to those who havnt played it give it a whirl
I got Plant of Zombies for $5 on Steam. Another prime example of Microsoft's ripping their consumer off.
plants vs zombies is the single iphone game ever made. beat it twice back to back in a few days. coulndt put it down. I plan on getting it agian on the 360. what a sweet game. Going to get Sonic adventure on day 1 too.
Cool. At this moment I'm getting more and more interested in getting more arcade games. Now I have ten with Limbo, Alien Hominid, Eets, and Castle Crashers being my most recent purchases.
@GunGriffin, I think that XBLA has been picking up a lot of the slack for Microsoft recently. Limbo, Monday Night Combat, Hydro Thunder: Hurricane, Snoopy: Flying Ace--all are awesome games. However, I would like to see a few more first-party retail titles with core gamer appeal. Microsoft's core first-party lineup of Halo: Reach, Fable III, Gears of War 3, Dance Central, and Kingdoms is not enough to effectively counter what Sony has in the pipe (in my opinion).
@GunGriffin Actually, when someone does not particularly like a decision, they may be over-exaggeratedly negative. If a particular game comes to Xbox 360 that some people don't care to play, they may say; "core gamer dropped!"
SONIC ADVENTURE BABY! Yes! The 1 good 3d Sonic game is now on Xbox 360! Yes!!! Yes!!! Yes!!!!!!!
Kind of in some masochistic way want Sonic Adventure and be horribly sad and happy at the same time.
Microsoft dropped the core how now? So many people here on GameSpot, and Editors around the net claimed Microsoft dorpped the core gamer. They announced Codename Kingdoms from Crytek XBLA is getting more, and more better games for us to all play, and Gears of war 3 will hit next year with Codename Kingdoms, and most likly a few other titles yet to be announced till next years E3. On top of that we are getting Halo Reach, and it turns out the head of 343 studios who is taking over Halo was the former head of Bungie back when it was an Apple console title before Apple pulled the plug and chose to let the company rot on the street, and he plans to do much of what Halo 1 was going to be a tactical shooter, and the the deal with bungie is that they give him a game with the ground work for Tactical open world shooting, and AI/Forge world and he gets to pick it up from there. How is any of this bad? I love my Xbox360 S and I love all the killer games we have right now. Plus we also got exclusive DLC for crap loads of games already.
I love how PS3 owners come here to bash the 360/XBLA/XBL prices and thumbs down everyone. If you're THAT insecure about an electronic machine, you have problems
@nissanmaxima, wow, I love how you 'assume' this is every ps3 owners sole purpose on here....:| Did you ever stop to think maybe that could be some random dipstick who likes thumbing people down (believe me they're here) and what makes you think PS3 owners can't say the same for some lame random xbox fanboys/girls? And frankly the last time I checked I didn't think you only had to read 'certain' news about 'certain consoles' only if you OWN them....I don't own a 360 but I like to think of myself as a knowledgeable gamer hence I read about all things of gaming that interest me. Funny, I thought that's what all 'grown' gamers did....
Sonic Adventure= BEST SONIC GAME EVER! Too bad it comes out the day after Reach...which I will probably still be playing. Whenever I finally go to sleep (several days later!) this will def be qued for download!
Is this suppose to make me forget that Microsoft is increasing the price of a XBL Gold subscription an addtional $10 bucks a year? I think not.
I ****ing hate how 1,200 is the new 800. These games look great, but damn it MS, you're pushing the bar here. Granted, some look worth it, namely Plants vs. Zombies and Hydrophobia, but $15 for 11 levels in Comic Jumper is far too much, especially when The Maw and Splosion man were great and fair priced. Hopefully Super Meat Boy won't be pushing it.
nissanmaxima its because they are insecure about their purchases therefore they talk more about the xbox than their own system that they own. They think something that micrsoft does somehow affects them playing their ps3....
i dont understand why ps3 owning only gamers even bother coming here giving thumbs down to xbox 360 owners comments or bad mouth a game or the xbox 360. I DONT EVEN CLICK ON THE PS3 SECTION ON THIS SITE. why. i dont own one and i could care less about any game on it or any thing the system can do. people need to grow up. oh yeah i will get PINBALL 2. had the first one. liked it.
I think this is an excellent idea. I can't wait to replay Sonic Adventure, but I truly can't wait for Hydrophobia. That game looks awesome! Also, if they brought Shenmue into the mix as soon as possible, INSTA-BUY! I'm sure they'd make a killing off of it too.
A lot of good games listed there. I don't care much about the price increase for XBL, because I usually get the 12 or 12+1 cards from Amazon or Dell. I just wish they'd cap the Arcade games at ten bucks. I usually wait for a price drop on those 15 dollar ones.
**** yes for Sonic Adventure and the entire feast lineup(espacially comic jumper). already have plants vs. Zombies on pc, but to those who don't have, i definitely recommend picking it up on either pc or when it comes out on arcade. and i agree with THE_BIONIC_ARM. this years summer of arcade was a real letdown. the only one that really interested me was Monday Night Combat. i also find it funny how three great games get released RIGHT AFTER the summer of arcade lineup(i'm referring to Shank, Scott Pilgrim, and DR:Case 0)
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