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Summer of Arcade Lineup Revealed

impulse
by Matt Miller on June 06, 2011 at 09:23 PM
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Microsoft always saves some of its best downloadable games for the Summer of Arcade. See which games made the cut for 2011.

Microsoft didn't talk about Xbox Live Arcade at its big press conference this morning. Lest anyone fear that the legacy of the great Summer of Arcade be lost, Microsoft followed up this evening with a press release announcing the lineup, which will begin the fourth annual run of games beginning on July 20th.

Here is 2011's Summer of Arcade:

Bastion
Supergiant's gorgeous action/RPG includes a narrator who constantly tells the story of the events unfolding onscreen.

From Dust
Ubisoft attempts to reinvent the god game with a new title from Eric Chahi, the creator of Another World. Alter the environment surrounding a tribe of struggling natives to help them survive and flourish.

Fruit Ninja Kinect
Kinect gets some love this year in Summer of Arcade, as the mobile game phenomenon comes to Live Arcade. Fruits. Ninja slicing. Kinect. You do the math.

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
This startling side-scrolling 2D game has players navigate dangerous corridors and solving puzzles to progress through a world of massive creatures and strange environments.

Toy Soldiers: Cold War
The sequel to Signal Studios' excellent tower defense/action hybrid scoots ahead from World War I-era toys to the heady days of 80s toys. Bigger and more explosive in every way, Cold War looks like a great new addition to the Live Arcade library.

In addition, Live Arcade will also play host to both Ms. Splosion Man and Trenched in the coming weeks. Exciting stuff for anyone who is into the downloadable game scene.

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Comments
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  • by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 09:32 PM

    Sounds interesting, but I'd like to know more.  Also, I tend to like my downloadable games best packaged in collections in physical form...

  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 09:33 PM
    From dust is my most anticipated of these games so far.
  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 09:37 PM
    I dont have an xbox just ps3 and pc, seeing bastion and from dust though make me want one.
  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 09:38 PM

    From Dust is number 1, then Bastion, that is really all I care about from that list.

  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 09:53 PM

    Very nice lineup.  If the narrator in Bastion is humorous and not very repetitive, it could be a fun play.  Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet has to be good with such a terrible title.

  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 09:54 PM
    There was already an Xbox Live Arcade game where a narrator narrates your every movements. Am I the only one who remembers this game? Whenever someone talks about Bastion they talk about the narration like it is a revolutionary thing. It has already been done in the same exact way in this other game whose name I can not remember.

    Did Bastion already come out somewhere else maybe? Have I played this game on the PC already and am thinking it was a different game? All I know is I already played a game that did this.
  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 09:59 PM
    Im hoping to get my hands soon on bastion,from dust and the game with an insanely long name XD!
  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 10:10 PM

    Bastion and From Dust are 1st day purchases for me...Good Times!

  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 10:23 PM
    I specifically want From Dust, has it went XBLA exclusive? I would be more than a little sad about that.
  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 10:24 PM

    Sigh...

  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 10:24 PM

    Love it.

  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 10:29 PM

    *** im gonna need a second mortgage for everything that i want

  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 10:36 PM

    I'm stoked to play From Dust. That's really going to be something I've never played before.

  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 10:37 PM

    Bastion should be incredible and ITSP seems neat.

  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 10:46 PM

    interesting lineup

  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 11:13 PM

    Where the hell is BattleBlock Theater, Behemoth!?

  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 11:21 PM

    So I'm assuming Minecraft should be coming on 11.11.11 when Notch said the game would be "complete." I'm right there with Notch though, Skyrim all the way. Sorry Minecraft.  :(

  •
    by Monday, June 06, 2011 at 11:59 PM

    I will definitely be getting Toy Soldiers: Cold War and Bastion, and I'll be checking out From Dust and Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, but I'm gunna pass on Fruit Ninja Kinect.

  •
    by Tuesday, June 07, 2011 at 12:10 AM

    All of those sound really cool... except for Fruit Ninja Kinect

  •
    by Tuesday, June 07, 2011 at 12:56 AM

    Toy Soldiers was fun while it lasted, but I don't know if Cold War will be worth picking up. The gameplay grew stale after a while.

    Bastion and Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet sound like they'll be worth grabbing the demos for at least.

    From Dust looks awesome, and I'm looking forward to seeing if it's as much fun as it sounds.

    Ms. Splosion Man? Maybe worth a shot. Never did finish up Splosion Man though.

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