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Madden NFL Arcade: The heir to arcade games past.

(Credit: EA Sports)

Football is a team sport. Alas, that goes counterpoint to a lot of the superstar worship and smack-talking that gritty sports video games are made of. To satisfy the casual fan, EA has launched a surprise on Xbox 360 and PS3 owners with Madden NFL Arcade. A five-on-five football game, it borrows heavily from previous arcade football games like NFL Blitz and EA's own dearly departed NFL Street (and less remembered NFL Tour), while offering a few new wrinkles. It's also a download-only title, available through Xbox Live Arcade and PSN for a price of $15 (or 1,200 Microsoft points, which are always hard to do conversion rates for).

The game's not coming to the Wii, most likely because Nintendo's version of Madden 10 already incorporates an easier play mode that embodies a lot of what this new Madden game is about. And what, exactly, is this game about? From what we experienced, that would be man-on-man competition, quick scoring, and random fun.

(Credit: EA Sports)

We approached NFL Arcade from a serious Madden-playing angle, and needless to say, this game doesn't employ much strategy. Players select long-, medium-, or short-pass plays or runs and basic defensive packages, then face off in quick, hit-happy plays. With only five teammates, there's basically no offensive line, so the aesthetic is schoolyard chuck-around, not first-down making. In fact, one clever twist is that each possession is simply a four-down challenge to either score a touchdown or turn the ball over trying.

There's no play clock at all, and in our sampled game mode, the first to 30 won. Game settings can alter the points goal up to 48 and down to a handful of points, and the number of downs, length of the field and starting position can be toyed with, but the clockless format is a constant. We actually liked it at first, since it focused on scoring drives and points rather than artificially accelerated quarters. However, especially in games versus the computer, games can end up lasting forever if no points are scored on drives, prompting a tired gamer to give up a play just to end the experience already.

Another maddening (forgive the pun) addition is a randomized slot machine for each team that brought up certain power-ups, called game changers, on various plays. Whether you receive something or nothing is completely beyond your control, and some of the effects (instant fumbling, slow-motion, or a flipping of scores between you and your opponent) are insane and devastating. Perhaps too much so for my taste, since they almost completely eliminated any real strategy or skill from the showdown. On the other hand, they're purely meant for fun, and can be turned off if you're more of a game purist. In subsequent games with the final version, we got used to the power-ups and grew to like them, especially since they can be saved and activated at appropriate times, or countered with other game-changers.

Madden NFL Arcade

All NFL teams are included, and the models for the NFL players are less cartoonish than Blitz and Street games of the past, while still being more stylized and over-the-top than standard Madden. On the other hand, rosters can't be edited or retooled (although roster updates are downloaded during online play).

We lost our Jets-Texans match-up, but we're looking forward to the rematch. We do appreciate the price point--this game's a more affordable pickup than full-priced disc-based games that preceded it, and we welcome this move for future "extreme" arcade sports titles. It may seem like double-dipping for EA, but it's a smart way to reach those who are intimidated by Madden's intricacies, as well as a quick fix for NFL addicts who can't be bothered for a full four-quarter ordeal. On the other hand, the term "arcade" never fit a game better- this is a simple package, but a great game to whip out on a lazy Thanksgiving afternoon or quiet holiday morning during the thick of winter football.

CNET editors Jeff Bakalar and Scott Stein take a look at the highly anticipated Xbox Live Arcade side-scrolling action platformer from Chair Entertainment and Epic Games, Shadow Complex.

Jeff:
Shadow Complex may look like your typical side-scrolling action game, but it does a lot of things that separates it from most platform exploration titles. The unique "2.5D" style takes a bit of getting used to, but you'll soon realize the genius behind the design.

Shadow Complex takes you through an intricate underground military facility where you must rescue your girlfriend who's been kidnapped during a camping trip. With a grid map as your only companion, you must explore the complex all while finding secret items and passageways. You'll also gradually unlock new weapons and ammo and upgrade your character's health in order to fight the mysterious regime.

We fully embrace the developer's choice to build Shadow Complex in such a way. Not only is it a tip of the hat to classic 2D games like the Metroid and Castlevania franchises, but introduces the genre to an entire generation of gamers who may not have been fortunate to play such titles.

With this 3D twist on a classic 2D genre, you're able to shoot at enemies in the background and foreground even though you cannot physically go there. The 360-degree aiming mechanic will automatically target your enemies who aren't necessarily in the same plane that your character is only able to navigate through.

Shadow Complex is truly a unique take on an older genre that will appeal to gamers young and old. It's available now for 1,200 MS Points (or $15) exclusively on Xbox Live Arcade.

Scott:
One of the best trends in all of gaming has to be the rise of low-cost original downloadables, and Shadow Complex is a great example of why it works. ... Read More

At the company's E3 press conference, Microsoft announced a new downloadable Xbox Live Arcade racing game that will use your Xbox Live avatar in game. While additional tracks will be available for purchase, Joy Ride will be completely free to download.

(Credit: CNET)

Gamestop might be king of the hill today, but it could be Tower Records tomorrow. After its E3 press conference, Microsoft announced during a press lunch that full game downloads will be available on-demand starting late summer. Those games include Bioshock, Assassin's Creed, and Oblivion, all full-disc experiences.

On August, 30 titles will be available at the start of the service. It's not clear yet whether these will be "classic" 360 titles or will also expand to cover newer holiday releases. Considering the bandwidth drain this will already cause, it seems likely the supply will be (for now) lower-demand titles from the past.

Click for full coverage of E3.

For these on-demand purchases, direct credit card charges will be accepted in addition to Microsoft Points. Games will be priced to match retail, meaning that--for now--no "disc-free discount" will be applied. But it does seem that, together with the PSP Go, our disc-free future is getting closer and closer.

To boldly go in a top-down perspective.

(Credit: Paramount Digital Entertainment)

Haven't had enough of your "Star Trek" fix now that the J.J. Abrams reboot has sent America into a Trek frenzy? Has the week rolled around only to have you cry out in despair, "more, more?" Well, Paramount Digital Entertainment is there for your desperate cries. Its movie-based multiplayer shooter, Star Trek: D-A-C, hits Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday, exclusively for the 360, costing you a cool-as-Spock 800 points.

What does D-A-C mean? We don't know. And you don't get to know that until you play through the game (we're serious). Set across a series of self-contained top-down arenas, you pilot the U.S.S. Enterprise (or one of five other ships, two more Federation and three Romulan) in one of three different battle games along with Trek-minded others on Xbox Live. Imagine if Geometry Wars and Star Control II had a child, and that child was half-Romulan.

No, this game does not have local multiplayer, making this an online-only affair (which, considering you've downloaded this on Xbox Live Arcade, shouldn't be too much of a problem). Matches can be arranged between two teams with six players each in three different game modes: Deathmatch, Assault (a base-capturing game), and Conquest (a turn-based attack/defend mission). Gameplay is smooth and full of parallax as you glide over vast 3D planets and asteroid belts, with dual-stick controls feeling much like Geometry Wars. The size, speed and weapon variations across ships was very Star Control II - but, unfortunately, you only have two races represented here, and three ship types (Flagship, Fighter, and Bomber).

Ideally, some future game will have a host of races and ships. Romulan versus Federation just doesn't cut it long-term. But if you want a Trek-infused quick shooter fix with pretty graphics, this only costs as much as movie ticket.

Star Trek D-A-C for Xbox Live Arcade hands-on

Microsoft's latest Xbox 360 marketing pitch

(Credit: Microsoft)

And just when you thought there couldn't possibly be any more different trim lines for the Xbox 360, Microsoft goes and releases the worst kept secret in all of gaming, the Xbox 360 Arcade. While it's essentially just a souped-up version of the Core, the Arcade 360 does come with a few extras that may attract some uninformed buyers. Plus, the $280 price tag is awfully close to the Wii's cost of $250--so in theory, speaking in terms of price, an Xbox 360 Arcade would be the logical alternative to a Wii this holiday season.

So what does it come with? Bundled inside you'll find a wireless controller, unlike the Core's original wired offering, HDMI-out support, a 256MB memory card, and five Xbox Live Arcade games (Pac-Man Championship Edition, Uno, Luxor 2, Boom Boom Rocket, and Feeding Frenzy). All this in an effort to get consumers more familiar with Xbox Live Arcade and what it has to offer.

The price is certainly right, but here's why I don't think you should even bother with it. ... Read More

(Credit: CNET Networks)

New owner of an Xbox 360 Elite? Well, if you were planning on transferring your Xbox Live Arcade games along with the rest of the data from your old 360, think again. There seems to be a major problem with how the transfer kit imports the games, involving DRM--yes, even games now suffer from this poorly thought-out technology. After a successful hard drive transfer, all of your purchased Arcade games will magically downgrade to demos. In order to have full access to these games, you must sign into Xbox Live (thanks to Joe at The Pensive Gamer for pointing this detail out).

Even more upsetting is that the DRM woes aren't exclusive to Xbox Live Arcade games. It seems that any movie or TV episode you've downloaded and transferred is susceptible to viewing limitations. In order to watch a television show, you must also be connected to Xbox Live in order to verify your identity. Microsoft is now recommending against performing a data transfer should you ever desire to view your shows offline.

As far as movies are concerned, all hope is lost. Any movie transferred using the kit cannot be viewed at all off the new hard drive. And what was Microsoft's actual solution to this issue? Watch your movies before you transfer your data.

In light of all the recent trauma, the transfer kit is currently being offered free from Microsoft by filling out this PDF form.

[Source: Gamespot]