14 DAY TRIAL // Just a couple of weeks ago, THQ ruled the Xbox LIVE Arcade domain with titles like Elements of Destruction and SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam! This week, however brings Atari to the scene with two fresh arcade titles: Asteroids and Asteroids Deluxe. Everything you need to know about the pair, and more details on Atari's future XBLA commitments can be found within the lines below.
OK, before we start checking out some facts about Asteroids and Asteroids Deluxe, every Xbox 360 owner hooked to the Internet should know that the titles are already available, so you can start downloading one of them while reading this.
Both Asteroids and Asteroids Deluxe offer gamers the chance to rotate, thrust, flip, fire and launch into hyperspace as oncoming asteroids are blasted to smithereens just like in the 1979 original, according to the publisher. These revamped versions, developed by Stainless, offer the same frenetic gameplay but in HD graphics.
As far as what Atari has lined up for the period of time after Christmas, Xbox 360 gamers will become acquainted with Tempest, Battlezone, and Warlords. All three are evolved versions of the originals, while Tempest maintains the linear geometric rendering "by using vector graphics," as confirmed by the report.
Battlezone has also received a serious overhaul as far as visuals go, and even adds a new batch of multiplayer game modes, in which players can actually use the Xbox Live Camera to watch live videos of their opponents. New SFX for weapon firing, impacts and explosions have also been implemented into Battlezone. Warlords on the other hand emphasizes its multiplayer mode the most. According to Atari, up to four players will be able to battle it out online. This game also features Xbox Live Camera support.
Time-limited trial modes are going to be available for all titles, 1080p visuals, as well as full-screen antialiasing and digital surround sound, with a total of 12 achievements to be unlocked for each, so you can boost your gamerscore. Have fun and, oh... don't forget, you can also try the three games' original versions out too in Emulation mode.