One day Axel, a painter, and his dog Pixel, awaken trapped in a beautiful but perilous dream world of his own creation. Together, they must solve the mysteries of Axel's landscapes to get home. Guide Axel & Pixel through this awe-inspiring world to help Axel fulfill his greatest wish—to paint a picture of all four seasons in a single day. Drawn by hand and rendered in full high-definition, Axel & Pixel is a unique journey through an artist's dream of 24 stunning chapters set in four different seasons, with three vehicle mini-games, and many challenging puzzles.

“Axel & Pixel” paints a pretty picture on October 14th at 9 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. PDT).

Published by 2K Play and developed by Silver Wish Games, “Axel & Pixel” will be available for 800 Microsoft Points everywhere except Japan and Korea and is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB. For more details on “Axel & Pixel” you can visit: http://www.xbox.com/games/a/axelandpixelxbla/ or http://www.xblarcade.com/node/2281

Husdon Entertainment and XBLArcade.com have teamed up to give away two free redemption codes for Military Madness: Nectaris, the turn-based strategy game, featuring two opposing forces with near-future military equipment, battling it out on the Moon. Each of the game’s levels is a distinct map with a hex grid, on which players take turns moving their units in an effort to win by destroying all enemy units or taking over the enemy headquarters. With an all-new graphical barrage, a regiment of new units, online co-op and vs. multiplayer, and a platoon of other new features, this is the maddest game in the series yet, and you should definitely download the trial and try out the game!

Get ready for battle with a brand new version of the classic turn-based title Military Madness: Nectaris, published by Hudson Entertainment, the North and South American publishing arm of HUDSON SOFT, and developed by Backbone Entertainment, is now available on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. This new title features the same strategic gameplay that Military Madness players have come to expect, along with new features such as 3D graphics, four player online or local team / vs. multiplayer, an all-new Commander unit that can be customized with various abilities, leaderboards and more.

Konami Digital Entertainment announced that Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment, the first next-generation installment for the classic tactical RPG series, will be available on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Featuring newly designed mechanics, Flames of Judgment combines the speedy RPG pace of the original with top-notch visual presentation. The rich storyline expands the universe further serving as the prequel to the original Vandal Hearts.

On the continent of Sostegaria, two rival kingdoms stand on the brink of war. Caught in the tide of battle is young orphan Tobias Martin. Driven to defend his homeland, and to avenge those already fallen, Tobias enlists with his comrades to fight for peace. But all is not what it seems, and they face a threat far deadlier – and closer – than they know. As the massive battle unfolds across expansive environments, players will experience party members adapting to their style of gameplay broadened by a deep range of character customization options.

A tipster uncovered a consumer survey and sent it along to Joystiq. By the looks of it, Microsoft is looking to bring its own Virtual Arcade space for your Avatar to Xbox Live sometime down the road.

The screenshots to the right, taken from the survey, show multiple player Avatars playing some old titles. While they appear to be playing on Arcade cabinets, you can easily spot that Atari is printed on the side and top of the cabinets, and that one player appears to be playing RealSports Basketball which was originally released for the Atari 2600.

According to one source, Atari games don't appear to be the only console available - one of the banners at the back suggests that Shark! Shark! is playable, which is a Intellevision game.

So what is the actual survey about? Well, it asks what name would be most appealing to you? Some suggestions include Game Room, Tower of ROM, Classics LIVE, Game Preserve, Game Gallery, AvatArcade, and RetroCade. Though the survey actually puts the question in a form using words like “compel” and “buy” indicating that the service might not be a free space, but could instead have a fee associated with it.

Today, 2K Play announced that Axel & Pixel, the point-and-click adventure game for fans of all ages, will be released globally on October 14, 2009 exclusively for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The title embodies the independent spirit of originality, individuality and fun, and was available for consumers to play for the first time at the 2009 Penny Arcade Expo that was held at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington this past September.

Developed by Silver Wish Games, a small team based in the Czech Republic, Axel & Pixel tells the story of the painter Axel and his dog Pixel as they embark on a fantastic journey through the surreal and dangerous Dream World. Combining a simple point-and-click interface and a beautiful hand-drawn environment, the game is truly unique. Players lead Axel the artist and his dog Pixel through 24 levels of stylized photo collage environments where the duo encounter nature-inspired characters like the Ice Giant, his mischievous rat apprentice and other motley inhabitants of the Dream World. Scale majestic mountains, build rafts to cross difficult rivers, or fly away in a hot air balloon in a journey through the Dream World.

Matt Hazard is going back in time to protect what matters most - his own 8-bit self - in the new side-scrolling shooter Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond from D3Publisher, coming this winter to Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Matt Hazard, the star of renowned videogames like Conflict of the Deities and Haz-Matt Carts, has been a videogame icon for more than two decades. Matt lived on top of the videogame charts for many years until an abrupt retirement brought him down. Now fresh from an epic battle with Wallace Wellesley and the revitalization of his career, Matt has a chip on his shoulder and is ready to tear down General Neutronov and a back catalogue of timeless and ageless videogame foes.

Play as Stan, Kyle, Kenny, Cartman, or any number of your favorite South Park characters in South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! It's the fast-paced action/strategy game, where you play to save the town of South Park. Combining snowball-throwing action with tower defense strategy, the game is designed for players of all skill levels. Unlock special content and new characters throughout the game for your in-game scrapbook. Play locally with up to four players or team up on Xbox LIVE in the story-based campaign or the extra-demanding Challenge levels.

“South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!” defends South Park on October 7th at 9 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. PDT).

Published by Microsoft and developed by Doublesix, “South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!” will be available for 800 Microsoft Points everywhere except Korea and is rated M for Mature by the ESRB. For more details on “South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!” you can visit: http://www.xbox.com/games/s/southparklgtdpxbla/ or http://www.xblarcade.com/node/2272

Atlus U.S.A., Inc. has revealed that Zeno Clash™, the critically-acclaimed first-person melee action adventure game honored for its unique visual style (among five finalists for Independent Game Festival's "Excellence in Visual Art" award), is headed to Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in the vastly enhanced Zeno Clash™: Ultimate Edition. New modes - including all-new online cooperative mode for the Tower Challenges - new features, and added content combine with a series of tweaks and improvements based on fan feedback to deliver the definitive version of the critically-acclaimed game.

The Military is back for a new generation of recruits! The classic turn-based strategy series Military Madness: Nectaris is exploding onto Xbox LIVE® Arcade. With an all-new graphical barrage, an all-new commander unit, online team and vs. multiplayer, and a platoon of other new features, this is the maddest game in the series yet!

“Military Madness: Nectaris” retakes the moon on September 30th at 9 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. PDT).

Published by Hudson Entertainment and developed by Backbone Entertainment, “Military Madness: Nectaris” will be available for 800 Microsoft Points everywhere except Korea and is rated E10 for Everyone 10+ by the ESRB. For more details on “Military Madness: Nectaris” you can visit: http://www.xbox.com/games/m/militarymadnessnectaris/ or http://www.xblarcade.com/node/2274

Chair Entertainment and XBLArcade.com have teamed up to give away two free redemption codes for Shadow Complex in the wake of the leaderboard information being deleted that we detailed, which was generated by those who tried to compromise the game. Chair Entertainment wants ALL the Xbox LIVE Arcade players to know that Shadow Complex is a great game that has won multiple awards and is NOT punishing those that have played the game the way it was supposed to be played. The proof is below…

XBLArcade.com and Chair Entertainment have teamed up to give away two free redemption codes for Shadow Complex! As an XBLA exclusive web site, XBLArcade.com doesn’t want to be associated with cheaters, and just because some people cheated, doesn’t mean existing or even new players should be shafted. Chair Entertainment agrees with our values, and if you haven’t already downloaded the trial of Shadow Complex, we recommend you do!