Every Extend Extra Extreme (360)

There’s been a lot of hype about this around the newsgroups and forums I post in, so I was pretty sure E4 was going to be ace. And it is. Sort of. The thing is, it’s not so much a game – more a test of will, staying power and stamina. The main game mode has a time limit of 3 minutes, which you can extend by collecting power-ups. These power-ups are so common, however, that you can easily time …

Puzzle Quest (Demo) (360)

I really enjoyed Puzzle Quest on the DS, but part of what made it so great was the DS itself. It was portable, easy to turn on for just a quest or two, and had touch control which makes a lot of sense with this game. The XBLA version isn’t bad. It can’t be – it’s almost exactly the same game – but it isn’t right. I can’t bring myself to buy a game I already have in a form …

Yaris (360)

HAHAHAHAHA! Oh my, what a crap game. It’s Stun Runner, only with crap weapons and coins to collect. Oh, and you’re driving a Toyota Yaris with on of Doctor Octopus’ tentacles sticking out of the bonnet. And there’s no accelerator – the game takes care of that bit for you. Played the first three levels, then played online against some other people. Other people who kept quitting on the finish line because I won. Stupid other people. I don’t even …

Tetris Splash (360)

People have stopped playing this online already?! It’s been out less than a week! Managed to find just one single game, which was in progress. When it finished, the host didn’t bother starting another game and one by one all the players gave up waiting and quit. As did I. So played Marathon Mode, reaching Level 17 (I think) with a score that puts me at around 7000th in the world. Rubbish!

Carcassonne (360)

Played some games of this with my wife again this evening. The extra features of the recent expansion do make things different, and, in fact, my wife won a game for the first time in ages. I think I’ll be turning that expansion off from now on.

Centipede and Millipede (360)

Wow. It’s been ages since I played this. I’d completely forgotten I had it, actually. Played both games for a while today, netting myself a few more achievements in the process, and totally annihilating The Rev’s scores. Well, some of his scores anyway. It seems to be a lot easier than last time I played it – Millipede especially. I don’t know why that is.

Carcassonne (360)

The “Kings and Barons” expansion pack for this appeared during the week, but since I’d spent the last points I had on Tetris Splash and my credit card had been stolen by the postman so I couldn’t buy any more. Today, however, I had my new card and it was put into immediate service, buying some points. Played (in single player) a few games with the new expansion (and all the previous ones active too), and it really does change …

Tetris Splash (360)

I’m not that huge a fan of Tetris you know. Yeah, it’s alright, but I was never one of those people who could sit and play it for hours. I always prefered Columns. Well, until Puyo Puyo existed, anyway. I think it’s the combo and/or chaining system of other well-based puzzle games that appeals to me, and Tetris doesn’t have one. But I bought it anyway, even though it has the broke-the-original “additions” of other recent Tetris titles – you …

Carcassonne (360)

Some of our games on this are now getting a little devious. Not only are we progressing onto nicking castles and roads from under each other’s noses, but we’re also planning ahead with hostile farm takeovers and castle completion sabotage with cunning use of roads. I still won all the games we played this evening though. Tch, eh?

Carcassonne (360)

My friend Ian came up for the weekend, mainly to help explode some concrete cluttering up my lounge, but this evening me, him and my wife played Carcassonne for a few games. Of course, he had no idea how to play, so the first few games were somewhat hand-holdy (uh, not in that way), but once he’d grasped it, he then wiped the floor with us. That’s the last time I explain all the rules to anyone. Bah.

Assorted 360 Demos (360)

Wednesday is New Game On Xbox Live Arcade Day, and, in recent weeks, one of very few days when I actually turn my 360 on. I downloaded the trial version of today’s “gem” – Geon, and a few game demos and gave them a go. GeonIt’s Pac-Man with two mazes, one on the back of the other, two players, and goal each. And some power-ups. I played for half an hour, and reached a stalemate position three times (neither I …

Carcassonne (360)

Just the one go on this with my wife, as my eyes were starting to fail me (a combination of dust/soil/pollen/spider webs from today’s Big Gardening Adventure and Mario’s Super Picross). That doesn’t mean I didn’t win though, as I did. When is the next expansion pack out? We really need it now, I think.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (360): COMPLETED! AGAIN!

Only this time with less emeralds (none, in fact – I didn’t even try) and more speed (achievements for completing Chemical Plant 1 and the whole game quickly – GET!). I then had a go playing online in VS mode. Oh dear. Whoever hosts, wins. This seems to be a common thing with these Sega XBLA games (see also Streets of Rage 2). If you’re not hosting, there’s a second delay between pressing a button and the action being carried …

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (360): COMPLETED!

Seeing as I’d left Sonic “parked” on Wing Fortress, I wasn’t surprised to finish this almost immediately after starting to play it today. Super Sonic made short work of the boss at the end of Wing Fortress, and Metal Sonic and Eggman proved to be no challenge at all. However, although I got the achievement for completing the game, I need to go back and do it again, only more quickly! There’s an achievement for doing Chemical Plant 1 in …