Game Stooge

XBLA Wednesday: Space Giraffe and Street Trace NYC

• Scribbled on August 20th, 2007 by Jonah Falcon
• Filed in Action, Microsoft Xbox 360, New Release(s), Press Release, Release Date(s), Xbox Live Arcade

Gamerscoreblog has released this week’s XBLA titles for August 22nd, and two fairly interesting titles: Jeff Minter’s psychedelic Space Giraffe and Gaia Industries’ Street Trace NYC.

You might remember my hands-on preview way back in May, and it was pretty fun in its late build. How could combat racing with hoverboards through downtown New York City not be fun, especially in online multiplayer? Well, that’s for the public to decide. It’s going for 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

Space Giraffe can best be described as an updated Tempest 2000, since Minter developed that title. However, he claims it’s not like Tempest 2000 exactly, so we’ll have to see. I claimed, also in May, that it would be released “soon”. Is 3 months later “soon”? Minter has complained about the certification process by Microsoft, so I suppose it was ready but the cert was arduous. It was listed as 400 MP ($5), but Gamerscore Blog thought it was 800, and now it’s checking. We’ll update this for you.

UPDATE: It is indeed 400 MP.

However, both games are extremely promising, so at least demo ‘em.

Click “Read more” for the press release.

This week, two great games hit Xbox LIVE Arcade.  Space Giraffe and Street Trace: NYC will each be available for download this Wednesday, August 22, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. PDT).

Space Giraffe
Llamasoft
800 Microsoft Points (checking on price now)
ESRB Rating E for Everyone
Worldwide

Space Giraffe features uniquely beautiful graphics and 100 levels of lovingly hand-crafted shoot-em-up action gameplay from the makers of Llamatron and Tempest 2000. Collect power-ups to activate Bonus Rounds and master the strategies necessary to maximize your score on every level!

• Extensive gameplay: Play through 100 levels of shooting and strategy.
• Level design: Enjoy the unique graphical appearance of each level due to the use of the Neon engine.
• Special features: Learn special moves to increase the Bonus Multiplier, and collect power-ups to gain access to the Bonus Round.
• Bonus challenges: Finish all 100 levels to unlock a hidden gameplay mode.

More information on the game can be found on Wikipedia (including how the title got its name), and for an interesting glimpse into the dev process, check out Jeff Minter’s blog.

For more details on “Space Giraffe,” please visit http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/s/spacegiraffexboxlivearcade.htm

Street Trace: NYC
Gaia Industries
800 Microsoft Points
ESRB Rating E for Everyone
Worldwide (except Korea)

Street Trace:NYC is fast-paced street racing and arena combat set against a grim futuristic corporate-controlled environment. Choose one of nine hoverboard-riding street soldiers to carve a plasma trail as you battle and grind through six areas, including abandoned highways and war-torn arenas. Play all of the seven different games in tournaments or exhibition matches, and upgrade your hoverboard and weapons as you play. Master the trials of the Single Player Campaign or compete with up to four players split-screen or up to eight online via Xbox LIVE®.

• A different kind of racing: Race and battle your opponents on decked-out hoverboards in three different arenas and three different street circuits. Grind your hoverboard along metal rails to gain an advantage. Your board’s emissions give passing players a strategic speed boost, allowing those falling behind to rubber-band off the race leaders.
• Numerous game modes: Take on the single player campaign with 18 time trials and five champion tournaments, or go multiplayer with four-player split-screen or up to eight players on Xbox LIVE. Choose from four different arena game types, Flag, Hunter, Chaos, and Takedown, and from three different street game types, Screamer, Chaos, and Street Trace.
• Multiplayer join-in-progress: The Street Trace:NYC lobby shows how many people are playing online, allows players to join tournaments in progress, and to follow games as they progress.
• Decked-out hoverboards: Upgrade your board’s engine, boost, shields and jump capabilities, and use weapons such as lasers, mines, stampede, and rockets. Gotta love rockets.
• Game goals: Earn your spot on the Leaderboards, and gain twelve new Achievements to increase your Gamerscore.

For more details on “Street Trace: NYC,” please visit http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/s/streettracenycxboxlivearcade/