Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Banjo-Kazooie for Xbox Live Arcade Dated

Microsoft announced today that the N64 classic “Banjo-Kazooie” will be released exclusively on Xbox Live Arcade on November 26, 2008.

“Banjo-Kazooie” for Xbox LIVE Arcade will retail for 1200 Microsoft points, or $15 when it launches this November . However, there is still time to take advantage of the “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” pre-order offer. Those who pre-order Banjo’s latest adventure at participating retailers not only get Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts but also receive, a complimentary code to redeem “Banjo-Kazooie,” from Xbox LIVE Arcade nearly 2 weeks before it’s global release. Consumers who participate in this pre-order program receive the added benefit of getting their hands on the goodies that await to be unlocked in “Stop N’ Swop” Before anyone else.

Initially conceived for the original Nintendo 64 version of “Banjo-Kazooie” ten years ago, “Stop N’ Swop” will finally come to fruition on the Xbox 360. “Stop N’ Swop” is a feature that rewards players’ accomplishments in the Xbox LIVE Arcade game by unlocking extra content and features in “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.”

As if “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” and “Banjo-Kazooie” weren’t enough, “Banjo-Tooie” is also heading to Xbox LIVE Arcade in early 2009, making Xbox 360 the new home of the beloved “Banjo-Kazooie” franchise.

Wish it was coming out before Nuts and Bolts.

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Peggle priced, detailed for XBLA

The second quarter has come and gone, and while our XBLA download queues have be left decidedly Peggle-free, PopCap's Greg Canessa remains adamant that the addictive puzzler is still on its way. In a recent interview, the PopCap exec blamed the game's tardiness on the addition of further polish and improvements, including 4-player local and online multiplayer over Xbox Live. Goodbye, free time!

Canessa also let slip Peggle's XBLA pricing of 800 Microsoft Points ($10), and while a firm release date for the title still remains up in the air, puzzle addicts can rest a little easier knowing that their addiction-of-choice is still expected to drop like so many colored pegs sometime before the year is out.

[bkfount]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Banjo-Kazooie for Xbox Live Arcade Dated



Wish it was coming out before Nuts and Bolts.

I really wonder why both N64 games aren't scheduled to release before the new 360 game. Seems like a pretty easy marketing plan to me. The first one alone would have made an awesome Summer release.

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

GamerBytes Previews - Banjo Kazooie For XBLA

So how does the game look 10 years later? Surprisingly very solid. While the character models and worlds are very much the same, the games HUD and text have all been upgraded to be clear as crystal. All of the games pickups, from your classic Notes to the Mumbo heads, have been given a bump in resolution as well.

Outside of that, the game looks just like it did before, except now in a higher resolution, in glorious wide screen and without the horrible Nintendo 64 Vaseline filter blurring everything up. The level textures have for the most part been left alone, perhaps bumped up a little bit, but it may just be the lack of blur clogging up the view of the game.

Everything runs along at an incredibly smooth framerate - fixing one of the main problems for the original game and N64 games in general, and the fog distance for enemies and objects has also been improved.

I was able to go through the equivalent of the trial game - Spiral Mountain and Mumbo's Mountain - and it's just as fun to play through as it was 10 years ago. The trial game is very well done, allowing you to get a maximum two Jiggys within Mumbo's Mountain. If you're smart you can get any of the Mumbo's Mountain Jiggys, including using Mumbo's Magic to turn you into an Ant to climb up the hill.

It plays just as well as it originally did. The camera controls make a very smooth transition from the original C buttons to the right analog stick, and doing Kazooie's Talon Trot requires you to hold both triggers, it all fits right at home on the Xbox 360 controller.

From watching the demo footage at the title screen, levels such as Freezeezy Peak, Gobi's Valley and Mad Monster Mansion (a level I had completely forgotten about) continue to look great in high res. I went back to my own cart version of Banjo Kazooie, and the change is just night and day.

Finally, there were rumors that Banjo Kazooie would not be touched in any way - including the Nintendo 64 logo at the beginning and the word "Nintendo" on Mumbo's Xylophone in the intro. Both of these have now been omitted, with Mumbo's Xylophone now sporting the "Microsoft Game Studios" logo. Whether the mention of other Nintendo characters in the final battle has been kept in is currently unknown.

This is more than just emulation - its a great port of a classic platform title that the kids of today missed out on. Banjo Kazooie is set to be released on November 26th 2008 for 1200 Microsoft Points - or you can get it for free with a preorder of Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. Its sequel Banjo Tooie will be available in early 2009.

...

IGN video preview:

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[The GIGGAS]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

So ready for BK to come out.

[Laettner32]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

I have a questions for you guys. I subscribe to Live via pre-paid cards I buy at BestBuy, not my own credit card. My subscription is getting ready to run out and I don't really play online, I just use it to d'load rosters occasionally. My ? is if I let my subscription expire, and later in the year when the game rush happens, when I buy another 3 month subscription will my gamer tag/profile all still be there? I don't lose everything for good by letting my subscription expire right? Or do I? Thanks for the answers.

[wolf5]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

im pretty sure you wont loose anything

[Lordcledus]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

I have a questions for you guys. I subscribe to Live via pre-paid cards I buy at BestBuy, not my own credit card. My subscription is getting ready to run out and I don't really play online, I just use it to d'load rosters occasionally. My ? is if I let my subscription expire, and later in the year when the game rush happens, when I buy another 3 month subscription will my gamer tag/profile all still be there? I don't lose everything for good by letting my subscription expire right? Or do I? Thanks for the answers.

When your subscription runs out, it just turns your account to silver access. You can renew it to gold anytime.

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

New Xbox Experience in November

Don't expect the New Xbox Experience to roll out for over a month. In an interview with Scott Austin, Director of Digitally Distributed Games for Microsoft, IGN was told that the New Xbox Experience will be pushed out to Xbox 360s in November. While talking about new ways that are coming to purchase Xbox Live Arcade games, Austin said, "One of the great things we have with the New Xbox Experience that we're rolling out in November is that we now have web Marketplace available for our consumers."

[The GIGGAS]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Aw, I was geared for it next month.

[ravens52bears54]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

I'm sorry, I just got back from being away for a week. What is the Monday update all about then?

[bkfount]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

I'm sorry, I just got back from being away for a week. What is the Monday update all about then?

nothing, just like the last one.

[ravens52bears54]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

nothing, just like the last one.

Lame. Thanks though.

[Candyman5]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Any rumors when the new Halo 3 Maps are coming out?

[The GIGGAS]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Is Live back up?