Announcements

Next Generation got an stat laden email from Microsoft detailing all of the crazy number the Xbox 360 has produced (like 600 million unlocked achievements). Amongst all the chest thumping is the list for the top 10 XBLA downloads worldwide.

Thus, we can now resume our top 10 banter without the aid of Major Nelson. Take that Major!

Naw, I'm just teasing. We really do want Major to start putting them up again. Especially since his Tokyo trip is no excuse anymore.

But back to the list. The #1 game? Nope, not UNO. Try Aegis Wing.

Fill your mind with my bitter cynicism (and the rest of the list) after the break.

[via Next Generation]

After a couple weeks of advance notice, we were left in the dark this week. (Maybe Major's absence has something to do with it.) Speculation ranged from Screwjumper! to War World (at least in my head it did). But now, we know.

Just off the wire, GEON: Emotions (800MSP) will be this week's release.

Does that upset you? Or thrill you? Good, because both feelings should be useful while you roll your cubes (how does that work exactly?) around the psyhedelic environments of GEON.

Need help making a decision about this game? Have it explained to you or check out the achievements. Or maybe screenshots are helpful.

Press Release and details after the break.

[via Gamerscoreblog, thanks Wasabi]

Coming soon to a Bomberman Live! match near you: Destructoid's faithful mascot!

No word on when we'll be getting it, but it will arrive along side many other new costumes in the next DLC pack for Bomberman Live!. So, if being a grumpy robot doesn't suit you, try the punky girl or the pretty pink fairy. And sure, for the macho there's a new executioner outfit as well. You can dress up your Bomberman doll action-figure as hardcore as you, don't you worry.

Actual character model, after the break. Check Dtoid for ludicrously large versions of all the images you see here and much, much more.

[Update]: I'm dumb and can't read. Full details after the break but know this: 10 costumes, 2 levels, 1 mode, 2 leaderboards and all coming September 26th for 250MSP.

[via Destructoid, thanks Buster]

Frequent many arcades in 1989? No? Well, how about owning a SEGA Genesis? (Heck, I had two.) Good. I knew someone out there owned one of those things. So, maybe you played two games that hit arcades in '89 and the Genesis in '90: ESWAT: City Under Siege and Crack Down. The only reason I'm bringing it up is because The Official Xbox Magazine UK has informed the world of the future XBLA release of both games.

Crack Down recently appeared on the Wii's Virtual Console so the transition to XBLA doesn't surprise in the slightest. Heck, ESWAT just came out too. The real question is, what improvements will be in the XBLA version. Leaderboards and achievements are no brainers but will we see a visual facelift? What about online play? (Co-op Crack Down anyone?) And will they port the arcade version or the console version (typically it has been the arcade if there is a choice)?

No answers yet. Just more wait and see, as usual.

Xboxic's got some videos to jog your memory in case you need it jogged.

[via OXMUK/Xboxic]

The Xbox Domain's keen eyes picked out some interesting complaints on the xbox.com forums. Apparently, Sonic 2 has no Xbox Live (aka Online) co-op mode and some buyers are very upset about that fact. An informed buyer should know that kind of information though. How did these fools get fooled?

By reading the grandpappy site of them all: Xbox.com. If you refer to my screengrab here of the Sonic 2 page you can clearly see that Xbox LIVE Co-op is advertised as a feature. Oops.

Guess they were fooled just because they know how to translate letters into words. So much for due diligence.

Anyone else out there "missing" a feature?

[via The Xbox Domain]

Okay, so we all know now how wrong I was about the Brutally Fun site. However, it was not a total loss. Alongside the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 2 was a bevy of Japanese themed XBLA games that are coming.

And guess what is among them? Ikaruga. It even says "available soon."

As awesome as it is to hear Ikaruga's solidly confirmed (not that we didn't expect it), I must say the surprise story for me is the announcement of Rez coming to XBLA. Then again, maybe it shouldn't surprise me after all.

The full list of mentioned XBLA games is as follows: Every Extend Extra Extreme (Q Entertainment), EXIT (Taito), Ikaruga (Treasure Co. Ltd.), OMEGA FIVE (Hudson Entertainment), Rez (Q Entertainment), Triggerheart Exelica (Warashi), Braid (Number None Inc.), Castlecrashers (The Behemoth), and Schizoid (Torpex Games LLC).

I'm too tired to say anything else of value, so just read the details after the break and let all this all sink in.

News Flash from xbox.com after the break.

[via xbox.com]

With less than 24 hours left to crack the code, speculation has been running wild circles around the tubes in an effort to uncover the true meaning behind the phrase "Brutally Fun".

Based on the color scheme (red/black), the timing of the countdown coming very close to the typical Wednesday release time for XBLA games, and the fact that this game is brutal but fun (or so I hear), my prediction is the release of Ikaruga.

That's all I got. Go ahead and prep your statements of ridicule for when I'm so wrong it hurts. If only just the idea of this being true hadn't gotten my hopes up.

[via my crack-riddled brain]