The aforementioned mutant rat has trapped the artist Axel and his canine companion Pixel in a bizarre dream world and run off with the key. The pair must pursue the vile vermin through four seasons' worth of levels, solving puzzles and completing rudimentary mini-games in order to make their way back home.

Axel & Pixel is the first of two independently developed games 2K Play is bringing to Xbox Live Arcade, having seen "the potential and the talent in these two unique and bold concepts." Is what they saw what we get?

Loved
Pretty Pixels: The first thing anyone notices about Axel & Pixel is the distinctive art style, which blends hand-drawn characters with backgrounds that looks as if they were crafted and textured using cut-out photographs. It's a striking visual style that meshes well with most of the gameplay elements and fits particularly well with the music, creating a wondrous, soothing atmosphere, perfect for a point and click puzzle game. It's no wonder this game caught the eye of 2K Play's new indie game initiative.

Piecing It All Together: Axel & Pixel is, for the most part, a point and click adventure title. Most of the game's levels present a problem you must solve by interacting with objects on the screen. Some levels contain additional challenges, such as sequential button pressing boss battles or the odd mini-game, but for the most part it's a straight up adventure title. It isn't all that difficult, and anyone with half a brain should be able to play through the entire thing without resorting to using hints. Some might consider this a bad thing, but I find an adventure game that mildly stimulates my brain without driving me to the edge of frustration to be a very entertaining and relaxing couple of hours. Your mileage may vary.

Hated
And Then There's The Driving: Yes, the game is a relaxing couple of hours, except when you're suddenly plunged into a river filled with whirlpools on a rickety raft, or asked to maneuver a hot-air balloon through a cavern filled with jagged rocks. These diversions from the point and click norm felt unnecessary to me, like going to a film festival and being forced to exercise between reels. Further distancing these segments from the main game is the fact that while you may have to redo a button sequence during some of the regular adventure gameplay, the driving/boating/ballooning segments are the only moments in the game where you get a game over response, continuing from the beginning of the level should you fail. It doesn't ruin the game for me, but it certainly takes me further outside of the adventure zone then I would have liked.

Axel & Pixel is not a long game, and it isn't a particularly difficult one either. It isn't the sort of game you'll spend hours poring over, trying to find every secret or get the highest possible score. It's a momentary diversion; a game you can wind down for the evening with, or waste a couple of hours playing on a rainy afternoon, perhaps while drinking a nice hot cup of tea.

Axel & Pixel is a somewhat brief yet ultimately pleasing experience that will mildly test your logic skills while treating you to some lovely music and gorgeous visuals. It's not the most adventurous of adventure titles, but if you're in the mood for something short and sweet it should fit the bill quite nicely.

Axel & Pixel was developed by Silver Wish Games and published by 2K Play on Xbox Live Arcade on October 14th. Retails for 800 Microsoft Points. A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played game through from start to finish.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom and Axel & Pixel are two games you wouldn't expect to come from 2K, but they certainly seem to be the kind of titles you might be compelled to pay a little extra for. P.B. Winterbottom is a stylish platformer in which the titular character bends time and space in order to steal pie, and if a nobler pursuit exists then I don't know what it is. This award-winning game from developer The Odd Gentlemen was originally created as a University of Southern California student thesis project.

Axel & Pixel, developed by Czech Republic developer Silver Wish Games, is a classic point and click adventure game with lush, hand-drawn visuals.

Why these two titles?

"At 2K, we look to support talented independent video game developers and discover ways of bringing their work to the mass market," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. "The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom and Axel & Pixel are passion projects for us. We saw the potential and the talent in these two unique and bold concepts, and are thrilled to be able to provide these developers with the support to create compelling games without altering their distinct visions."

For a better look at both titles, visit the websites I cleverly embedded within this article, or visit next week's Penny Arcade Expo, where @K Play will be showing off both titles to the public.

During a recent performance, Ringling Bros. high wire artist Jonathan Caro walked 25 feet through the air, using only a Wii remote and nunchuck to help keep his balance, celebrating the agreement between the world's most respected circus and 2K Play to create circus-themed titles for the Nintendo Wii and DS.

"We are very excited to partner with 2K Play. These upcoming games add an entirely new interactive dimension to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey experience," said Nicole Feld, Ringling Bros. producer and Feld Entertainment Executive Vice President. "Now circus fans of all ages can continue to experience the thrills and excitement of Ringling Bros. when they play these new games at home."

While we won't know any more about the actual games until E3 in June, judging from the way they announced the partnership I'd say you'd best keep your Wii Balance Board in good working condition.

Not one to look a gift bit of shovelware in the mouth, Take-Two today announced that they are coming out with two new spin-offs for Carnival Games.

"The success of Carnival Games is proof that the casual game market continues to grow," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. "We are actively working to expand the 2K Play label and are committed to producing fun, quality games for the mass market with the Carnival Games franchise paving the way."

Carnival Games DS will hit this summer and will feature a new group of carnival games designed from the ground up for the DS. The games, which includel Ball, Frog Leap, Dunk Tank, RC Raceway and Clown Hammer, will use tapping, blowing, speaking and swiping as play mechanics.

Out this fall, Carnival Games: Mini Golf will make use of the Wii Remote's motion controls to let up to four people play mini-golf. The themed park will include dinosaurs, the Wild West and, wait for it, pirates!!!

Hit the jump for the full release.

Step Right Up! 2K Play Expands Its Carnival Games Franchise With Carnival Games™ For Nintendo DS™ And Carnival Games: Mini-Golf™ Exclusive
Original Wii Version of Carnival Games Ships More Than One Million Copies

New York, NY - March 11, 2008 - 2K Play, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), today announced two new titles as a part of its brand extension strategy for its highly popular Carnival Games series. The new titles include Carnival Games for Nintendo DS, which is scheduled to ship this summer, and Carnival Games: Mini-Golf, an all-new game exclusive to the Wii home video game system, which will debut this fall. 2K Play is also announcing that its flagship Carnival Games title has reached a milestone of shipping more than one million units worldwide, while remaining a top-selling game with a number 5 ranking on the January 2008 NPD Wii chart.

"The success of Carnival Games is proof that the casual game market continues to grow," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. "We are actively working to expand the 2K Play label and are committed to producing fun, quality games for the mass market with the Carnival Games franchise paving the way."

"The consumer response to Carnival Games has been extraordinary," said Steve Lux, vice president of business development for 2K Play. "The game resonates with every demographic and the feedback we have received from moms, dads, kids and grandparents shows Carnival Games as one of the drivers of family game time. Our new games build on the strength of the first title and will promote this growing trend."

Carnival Games for DS brings the fun of the original to the world's best-selling portable system during the summer vacation and travel season. Each game is designed from the ground up to take full advantage of the DS control mechanism. A frenzied combination of tapping, blowing, speaking and stylus maneuvering brings the now famous midway to life. Favorites such as Alley Ball, Frog Leap and Dunk Tank are complemented with fresh games including RC Raceway and Clown Hammer.

This fall, the all-new Carnival Games: Mini-Golf comes exclusively to Wii. Featuring Carnival Bob™ and characters made popular in the original, Carnival Games: Mini-Golf is home to larger-than-life, theme park style miniature golf courses. Whether back in time to the land of dinosaurs, keeping order in the Wild West or searching for treasure on an island full of pirates, the game combines traditional miniature golf fare with action-oriented game play utilizing the unique capabilities of the Wii Remote™. It is designed for four players and can best be described as "a hole in fun."

"We work hand-in-hand with Nintendo on the design of our Carnival Games titles to make sure they deliver the best-possible gaming experience for their consoles," said Harley Howe and Patrick Wilkinson, studio heads of 2K Play's Cat Daddy Games. "These new titles in our growing Carnival Games franchise are fun, have true-to-life physics and deliver on the promise of the original: you can almost smell the cotton candy."

For more information, log onto www.2kgames.com/2kplay.

"We welcome our new partnership with 2K Play," said Shaul Olmert, Vice President/Digital Media products for Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group. "This is the first time Go, Diego, Go! is coming to handheld and console systems and will mark Dora the Explorer's debut on the popular Nintendo DS™ system. We are excited to welcome 2K Play into our growing family of innovative digital products."

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Announces New 2K Play Publishing Label and Video Game Partnership with Kid's Entertainment Leader, Nickelodeon

New label leverages growing casual game market

Nick Jr. Preschool Television Hits Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go! lead new 2K Play portfolio of family-friendly games

New York, NY - September 10, 2007 -Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) today announced the formation of 2K Play, a new publishing label dedicated to casual gaming. As part of the 2K Play initiative, Take-Two also announced an expansive new handheld and console video game licensing agreement with Nickelodeon, a partnership involving top-rated properties including Nick Jr. preschool television hits, Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go!

Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go! will be the first titles under the new 2K Play label and will be released this fall in North America. According to Nielsen ratings (4/2/07-7/1/07), Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go! are the top two ranked television shows for kids 2-5. The NPD Group cites Dora the Explorer as the #1 toy license in 2006 based on dollar sales and Go, Diego, Go! is now supported by over 300 licensees worldwide.

"We welcome our new partnership with 2K Play," said Shaul Olmert, Vice President/Digital Media products for Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group. "This is the first time Go, Diego, Go! is coming to handheld and console systems and will mark Dora the Explorer's debut on the popular Nintendo DS™ system. We are excited to welcome 2K Play into our growing family of innovative digital products."

2K Play joins leading publishing labels 2K Games and 2K Sports as a new division in the 2K portfolio. The new label will absorb Take-Two's Global Star Software label, including the Carnival Games brand, the Cat Daddy Games studio and PC games based on the popular Deal or No Deal franchise.

"The 2K Play label targets the growing market of casual gamers interested in accessible, high-quality products," said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. "It will be home to games that are fun and engaging for players of varied skill types and ages. Our exciting initiative with Nick Jr. will offer a host of games featuring world-famous brands that appeal to the family-friendly gamer."

Additional information regarding the 2K Play lineup of games will be available in the coming months.