Hands-on with upcoming XBLA games:
TMNT: Turtles in Time – Re-shelled (1200 MS Points): It’s pizza time! Playing as one of your favorite ninja turtles, Ubisoft is remaking the classic arcade title that was released by Konami for the XBLA. Playing through the first four levels, all of which were as action-packed as the original, Turtles in Time might be one of the most popular games of the summer when it releases on July 22. Facing formidable foes such as the mutated Dr. Stockman, a mecha-turtle, and Cement Man, the experience is still entertaining as it ever was in the past. Though, the graphical updates may throw people off since they are now in 3D and have lost the original 2D sprites.
Diner Dash: Being released by Hudson Soft, Diner Dash is finally making its way to the XBLA. The version that I have played is still bare bones with no audio and many control issues, but the basic concepts are still applied. Players will take on the role of Flo, the lone waitress of an up-and-coming restaurant, as she takes orders from customers and serves them food and drinks. The difficulty was much harder on the XBLA than I’ve experienced from the Nintendo DS version, but that may be the fault of the controls not working properly. That being said, Diner Dash should turn out to be one of the year’s most popular XBLA titles for every demographic when it releases early this fall.
Sonic & Knuckles: The fourth Sonic title is on its way to the XBLA later this summer with online leaderboards and network play. While it has been mentioned in press releases that Sonic & Knuckles will support bonus content to players already owning Sonic the Hedgehog 2 or Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – due to the lock-on ability of Sonic & Knuckles for the Sega Genesis – this feature wasn’t available throughout my session. If the graphics of Sonic & Knuckles have been touched, it won’t be noticed by the common eye – so what this ultimately boils down to is a straight port with online support. As with the other Sonic titles, which I periodically still play to pass the time on the XBLA, Sonic & Knuckles is turning out to be a fine addition to the library for players who are a fan of nostalgia.
Calendar of Upcoming XBLA Releases:
July 15: The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
July 22: TMNT: Turtles in Time – Re-Shelled (1200 MS Points)
July 29: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (1200 MS Points)
August 5: Splosion Man (800 MS Points)
August 12: Trials HD (1200 MS Points)
August 19: Shadow Complex (1200 MS Points)
Summer 2009: Go! Go! Rescue Squad, Sonic & Knuckles, Diner Dash, Military Madness: Nectaris
Live Informant #1 is continued on the next page:
