14 DAY TRIAL // This week's XBLA update brings not two, not three, but a total of four THQ original titles to users of the service where fantasy meets reality (as far as gamer fanatics are concerned). ScrewJumper!, Elements of Destruction, SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam! and ScrewJumper! Are 3 of the 4 games confirmed by THQ to be available for download by the end of the month, with Rocket Riot due out soon after.
Here's a bunch of details on each game (gameplay features courtesy of xboxic.com):
Elements of Destruction: - players don't step into the shoes of a hero, but more into the eye of a hurricane, or become any other awesome force of nature, tasked with manipulating Mother Nature to their liking.
- Start with lightening, tornadoes, and earthquakes and increase your power until you have mastered all of Mother Nature's forces. - Blow buildings apart, start raging fires and damaging lightning as you cause mayhem in towns, cities, and the countryside! - Multiplayer modes include Cooperative, Competitive Destruction in both Online and Split-screen.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam! - players collect Lord of the Sea Neptune's underpants that have been spread across the sea bottom by a powerful storm current. Players venture in key locations from the series such as the Krusty Krab, the Flying Dutchman's ship and the depths of the new Treasure Room of Atlantis, where they will search for the bronze, silver and gold medallions.
- Search the Krusty Krab, the Flying Dutchman's ship and the depths of the 'new' Treasure Room of Atlantis for the bronze, silver and gold pairs of medallions. - Engage in single-player Quest Mode, where collecting 99 pairs of underpants wins the game, or begin the hunt in Time Trial Mode, where beating the clock means everything. - Take on up to 3 players in Xbox Live or single couch multiplayer Slam Mode, or try to avoid being "it" at Bikini Bottom in Tag Mode. - It's every sea creature (and mammal) for him-or herself! Use your character's slapstick moves to knock down and slow your opponents. - Gain special powers from pick-ups that allow you to move at super speed, become invincible or even steal pants from other players in their excitement to gain Neptune's favour! - Beware of the Jellyfish! - They collect underpants too and don't give them up easily. Keep clear of them when they're "electrified" or you'll be stunned and stupefied! - Break out your super-duper Super-Moves - Each character can unleash their unique Super-Moves to keep even the fiercest opponents at bay and also reveal hidden treasures.
Rocket Riot is a side-scrolling shooter that sees players blasting through the game's environment fighting off state-of-the-art A.I., offline and online.
- Engage in 80 single player missions, set in many different themes and zany worlds. - A fully featured multiplayer Riot with 4 multiplayer modes against up to 8 players on Xbox Live or up to 4 players on a single screen. Teamed based Capture The Flag has never been so explosive! - Fly through continuously regenerating maps that keep the action fast-paced - but time doesn't heal all wounds.
And as far as ScrewJumper! is concerned, players have to drive an invading alien horde back to its home world by wrecking its mining equipment, destroying the alien mine core and bail-out while they still can... alive:
- Descend and destroy 20 mines on 4 planets with 6 characters. - Compete with your friends via split screen and Xbox Live multiplayer. - Chain your destruction by plunging through objects at ultra terminal speeds. - Risk your neck in four single-player modes: Destruction, Race, Time Trial and Score.
Remember: Elements of Destruction, SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam! and ScrewJumper! will be available for download by the end of the month, with Rocket Riot due out soon after.