ninjas-and-dragons-and-xbox-live-update

A pair of very different, action games hit Xbox Live this week. Double Dragon is all bare-knuckle action, while Mark of the Ninja takes to the shadows.

It’s a very solid week for Live overall with those two games, Red Johnson Chronicles (great name, or greatest name ever?) and the latest Battlefield 3 expansion.

Double Dragon Neon looks to be a total throwback to the days of side-scrolling action, but all brawl and no brains doesn’t necessarily mean a bad time. DD is decked out in crazy colors and pop culture references aplenty – oh, and mix tapes give you special powers? Yeah that’s pretty neat. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s by the modern masters of the 2D action game- Wayforward.

Mark of the Ninja is a 2D action game too, but contrasting DD, it’s purely about stealth. Also like DD, you’ll more than likely recognize the studio here too- it’s Klei, the makers of Shank and Shank 2. Don’t let the ‘crazy action’ pedigree fool you though, this is a completely different affair. While Shank would just walk right up and get it on face-to-face, the Ninja would prefer a quiet approach from behind.

Rounding out the Arcade offerings is Red Johnson Chronicles: One Against All. This graphic adventure/puzzle game sees the title character out on a hunt to find who kidnapped his brother and uncover a web of crime and corruption in the city. It actually looks pretty cool, kind of like an old school adventure game.

And if you’re a multiplayer nut, you’re in luck this week too as Battlefield 3: Armored Kill hits XBL. This latest expansion pack for B3 includes six new vehicles and a quartet of maps- one of which is the biggest Battlefield map ever drawn up. So I guess all those vehicles will come in handy- don’t forget you keys! Or rocket launcher!

Arcade

• Double Dragon Neon – 800mspts — Hair spray, ripped jeans, power ballads, and… bro-op? Take a trip back to the greatest decade (IMO) in WayForward’s latest.
• Mark of the Ninja – 1200mspts — Stealth and a shuriken in the neck; Mark of the Ninja brings 2D action gaming and a healthy dose of sneaking together with an excellent result.
• Red Johnson Chronicles: One Against All – 1200mspts — It ain’t easy being a PI. Everybody’s out to kill you and the pay’s lousy. Take it to the baddies in a two fisted, QTE loaded, puzzle fest.

• Plants vs. Zombies – 600mspts — 50% off
• Peggle – 400mspts — 50% off
• Peggle Nights – 200mspts — 50% off
• Zuma – 200mspts — 50% off
• Bejeweled 3 – 400mspts — 50% off
• Heavy Weapon – 400mspts — 50% off
• Astropop – 400mspts — 50% off
• Feeding Frenzy 2 – 400mspts — 50% off
• Bejeweled Blitz Live – 200mspts — 50% off
• Feeding Frenzy – 200mspts — 50% off

Demos

• FIFA Soccer 13
• F1 2012
• Harry Potter for Kinect