I coulda' sworn we were supposed to be getting the Bionic Commando update that week.

I picked up Golf:Tee It Up and have to say that I really like it. It reminds me of the original Hot Shots Golf (the last one I played), but it's got the added element being able to adjust your shot in the air (only for 4 seconds, though you can bank the time if you don't use it).

This adds an interesting element of strategy for a relatively straightforward golf game, as I find myself deciding "do I want to clean up my drive, do I want to save the 'tweak' for an iron shot into the green, do I want to save it for a putt that might slip by the lip, or do I want to bank the time for a later hole."

My main complaints with the game are that there are only two courses out of the box (I really would like to have seen 4 or so), and the fact that on some of the holes if you don't hit it perfect, you're SOL. With most of the great golf games (or courses, I suppose), there are multiple ways to play the holes. If you're a short hitter, you can bop along and be successful, or if you want to blast the ball, you have that option. With this game, on several of the holes if you don't hit the ball on the screws, you don't have a second or a third shot (think huge swaths of unplayable rough or a gorge). You then almost have to putt the ball to put it into a position to play your next shot. It's not a dealbreaker for the game, just something I wish they would have thought through a little more.

Overall, I'd recommend it as a game you can pick up, knock out a round in 15 minutes, and then forget about.

Let me know if anyone is online, I'd love to get in a round with some people and pick up the online achievements.

I'm still debating about Tee it Up. On the one hand I would like a quick little golf game that doesn't require me swapping out discs but the demo didn't thrill me all that much. The four demo holes felt too similar and I can't tell if the rest of the course is going to be the same or not.

Where the F bomb is Street Fighter HD that was supposed to come last year?!

My friend and I got Schizoid and we had a blast tonight playing it. I wasn't planning on buying it after trying the demo but I found the Uberschizoid mode so hilarious that I recommended it to my friend and we just ended up getting it. I could try to explain it but, believe me, just download the trial and ENJOY (or not). The gameplay, controls, and graphics are simple and tight but I'm most impressed with how the made it challenging but not impossible.

We're on level 40-something and it's great how each stage seems to have it's own strategy and flair. My username is beesonosu if anyone else grabs it and wants to co-op.

Beta-testing right now. Buy Commando 3 now if you want to try it out. Hopefully Street Fighter II Turbo HD Unnecessary Excessive Title Modifier will come out later this summer.

I actually liked the demo of Schizoid quite a bit. But everything seemed to be...so...darn...slow.

I'm not sure about the golf game. The physics and the way the ball interacted with the environment were not good -- like something from 10 years ago. But it played well.

Schizoid was neat. Uberschizoid blew my mind.

I'm thinking of picking it up as well.

I typically like Video Golf games - especially the hyper-real (Mario Golf, Super Swing), but I was bored with G:TiU after 1.5 holes. I didn't try the flightpath-bending, though. Might have to try again.

Thinking about getting the golf game, I was suprised by the Visuals. They are very good. The water looks excellent.

Early announcement due to E3.

Nice news about the PQ price drop. Can't wait for the imminent expansion.

I don't think they're new, but I just downloaded Marble Blast & Root Beer Tapper for my boys. They've been playing the Hell out of them for the last 4 days, so well worth the $5 each. I played MB & I think it's pretty cool...better than Super Monkey Ball, minus the mini-games.

I agree - the PQ price drop is great. I had held off on it due to owning the DS version, but at $10 I might go for it.

No interest in the crossword game, though. I already have two crossword games for the DS, a platform which seems much better suited to that sort of game.

If you like Marble Blast, and I sure do, you should also look into Switchball which is more of a physics-based puzzle game. It's different enough to warrent a purchase as well. I really like that game (even if it can be pretty frustrating).

I bought Tee It Up! last night. I'm not crazy about it (I think it's certainly inferior to the latest Hot Shots Golf, but to be fair it's priced at 16% of that game's cost), still it seemed fun enough to warrent a purchase. I like the ball-curving dynamic -- it's a neat wrinkle of strategy to the game. Putting is hard as hell though. Haven't tried Schizoid yet.

I don't get why people would download either Suduku or Crossword for XBLA. I hope there's another game next week. It's nice that they're giving away 1200 bonus puzzles though -- that is a lot of content.

Anyone who doesn't already own some version of Puzzle Quest should be promptly kicked in the nuts, then after getting up and composing themself, they should immediately download it for 800 points. It was a good deal at 1200.

If the good folks at XBLA could see fit to discount a game that I don't already own, that would be swell. How about the original Mutant Storm game? That's ancient.

Yeah, I'm kind of underwhelmed by the "Arcade Hits" program here. I keep waiting for older titles that I hope will drop. PQ will be the 8th title in as many months. That doesn't sound that bad, but when you consider that 4 (or 5?) of them came out at the introduction...

1/month would be awesome.

I also was shocked to see the original Mutant Storm for full price. That is one i would like, but it is old enough it seems like it ought to drop any day.

I would happily buy the Sudoku game for 400 points even though i have tons of Sudoku on the DS. 800 points though is just too steep imo.

I think everyone who hasn't picked up some of the board game conversions should be kicked. Catan, Lost Cities, Carcassonne, and Ticket to Ride are all phenomenal games.

Did you do the guided tutorial on Catan? It seems complex but it is really very simple (especially with the tools they give you to show you the values of the intersections and the like).

Don't kick me for not owning Catan. That one is just too complicated for little ol' me. The rest, I totally agree with you -- they're very good, though Lost Cities seemed like it wasn't deep enough to warrent a purchase. I like Ticket To Ride and will probably buy the Europe exansion as long as it's no more than 400 points.

That Suduku game, it's just not something I could spend 800 points on. There's a nice free one on the PSN and I've played that a few times before I bought more substantial games on the PSN, but overall it's the sort of game that doesn't translate well to a living room plasma-tv setting; it's more of a waiting room, ride the bus sort of activity.

Maybe I'll try it again. It seemed very daunting at the time.

I saw there's a Pirate game coming to the Arcade that's similar to Catan but apparently less confusing. I might check that out.

edit: I think this is the game - Plunder

IGN Preview

Joystiq Hands-On

Interesting... a link to that game? Is it Seafarers of Catan?

Definitely try it again. I play that one almost daily, but less now that I got Ticket to Ride.

Are you thinking of Plunder?
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/15939/...x-Live-Arcade/

Here's a video of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vytosDX9dVM

From the article: “Plunder goes beyond the next generation, from 3D to 6D, with cutting-edge hex-based environments that make traditional 3D games weak".

Yeah, marketing hyperbole should really be scaled back a little.

If you dig the board games Liver then check out Civilization. Holy crap am i enjoying it.

*note: Civilization is a disc game not a XBLA title.

1, 2, 3 or 4?

Oh wait - you mean the demo on the xbox? yeah - tried it...is the retail version out? If so, fuck you for making me stop at the store on the way home tonight.