This DS version will contain the original board game along with expansion "River", but also expands upon this by introducing three new "worlds", described as Asian, Nordic and Arabic. There'll be straight-up multiplayer, either via single or multi-cart, as well as a story mode.

It's due sometime later this year.

USAopoly is releasing the Halo Wars-branded version of venerable strategy game Risk this Summer. It features three factions (UNSC, Convenant and Flood), six sectors, 42 territories, and 250 little plastics soldiers, all of which adds up to infinite strategic nerd bliss. We're guessing it doesn't feature an easily camped Australia, though.

Said to be built on the Risk: Black Ops style of play, allowing for shorter session games, Risk: Halo Wars will feature basic, advanced and classic gameplay rules. Expect to see it show up at stores in a few months for $39.95 USD, then to be coated in Risk and Halo fanboy drool shortly thereafter.

Rather than release Hasbro Family Game Night as one complete package as they did with the Wii release, EA instead plans on releasing the games as a series of Xbox Live Arcade games on the 360. The line up includes Scrabble, Boggle, Yahtzee, Battleship, Sorry!, and Sorry! Sliders, which I am assuming is Sorry! played with Krystal burgers, though I could be wrong. Players will be able to earn trophies, furniture, and special themes used to decorate their own little virtual game room. The first titles will begin trickling out in the spring.

Along with this announcement, EA also announced Scrabble for the DS and PSP, both due out in March of this year. Both versions feature Wi-Fi multiplayer, furthering EA and Hasbro's plans to make family game night less cluttered but more expensive.

EA Delivers Scrabble to Every Major Digital Platform in 2009 and Brings Hasbro Family Favorite Board Game Experiences to Xbox LIVE Arcade

Highly Anticipated Hasbro-Branded Video Games to Be Showcased at Consumer Electronics Show Booth # 72201

2009 International CES
Booth #72201
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Fans of casual, family-friendly games are about to see their circle of fun widen with a slate of new Hasbro-branded digital play experiences on a variety of platforms from Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ:ERTS) in 2009. Leading the charge is SCRABBLE, which rocketed to the No. 1 position on Pogo.com™ with more than 2.5 million players laying down virtual tiles since its June 2008 launch. The best-selling crossword puzzle board game is on deck to land on handheld platforms including the Nintendo DS™ and Sony PlayStation®Portable system (PSP®) in March 2009 in the US and Canada. EA is also gearing up to inject nostalgic fun into the Xbox LIVE® Arcade by bringing perennial board game favorites to the popular platform. Under a Hasbro Family Game Night banner, games such as SCRABBLE (US and Canada only), BOGGLE, BATTLESHIP, YAHTZEE, CONNECT FOUR, SORRY! and SORRY! Sliders will begin to roll out in Spring 2009. EA will showcase the highly anticipated lineup at the Consumer Electronics Show on January 8-11, 2009 in Las Vegas.

“We believe our Hasbro Family Game Night channel on Xbox LIVE Arcade will be one of the most dynamic and fun collections available on the platform,” said Chip Lange, General Manager of EA Hasbro. “We’ve been given the unique opportunity to create an exclusive EA Hasbro branded destination within the Xbox LIVE Arcade so players can easily find and play our lineup of family-friendly digital board games. Just as families have game closets in their home, they will also be able to stock a digital game closet serving up hours of interactive play for kids and adults alike.”

“The consumer response to Hasbro’s brands arriving on digital platforms in such fresh, inventive ways has been incredibly positive,” said Mark Blecher, General Manager of Digital Media and Gaming at Hasbro. “SCRABBLE alone has taken the US and Canadian markets by storm in a very short period of time and we expect the momentum to remain at full throttle through the Nintendo DS and PSP handheld releases and beyond. The level of creativity and meticulous execution that EA has poured into the re-imagination of the SCRABBLE and Hasbro Family Game Night experiences have set the bar very high for the many other games under development, but we’re confident that we’ve just scratched the surface of what digital fun feels, looks and plays like. It’s going to be a very exciting year for casual game fans.”

SCRABBLE on the Nintendo DS and PSP will offer something for every crossword puzzle fan with three modes of play including: Classic, which offers traditional play; Speed, where players race the clock; and, the new fast paced SCRABBLE SLAM card game, where players try to be the first to discard all their SLAM cards by making four letter words. SLAM will be available for the first time digitally on the handheld versions of SCRABBLE. With six difficulty levels, SCRABBLE will serve up a Training mode with six training exercises that enable new or rusty players to polish their skills before their first big showdown. SCRABBLE comes loaded with extras such as SCRABBLE Word Finder and Wi-Fi multiplayer capability (both single and multi-cart play). Debuting in March 2009, the Nintendo DS and PSP games are expected to be rated “E” for Everyone and carry an MSRP of $29.99.

The SCRABBLE Nintendo DS and PSP games will join the roster of previously released versions which have proven to hold great appeal, similar to its board game counterpart. In the past two years, EA launched three separate mobile versions of the game (in the US and Canada only) – including SCRABBLE for the iPod®, iPhone™ and feature phones. Online versions of SCRABBLE also launched on Pogo.com and social networking sites in June 2008. All have been widely adopted and received accolades across platforms.

SCRABBLE was the No. 1 multiplayer game in its launch month, competing against more than 100 other offerings on Pogo.com. In July 2008, more than 5 million SCRABBLE games were played, equating to 4.3 million hours of play.
SCRABBLE for the iPhone and iPod touch launched in July and quickly rose into the top 25 of all applications. Today, out of over 8,000 applications on the App Store, SCRABBLE remains in or near the top 50.

EA and Hasbro will stock Xbox LIVE Arcade with Hasbro Family Game Night, a crowd-pleasing assortment of games that are instantly recognizable household names such as SCRABBLE, CONNECT FOUR, BOGGLE, YAHTZEE, BATTLESHIP, SORRY!, and SORRY! Sliders. All games will feature both original and new ways to play, including a Party Mode that features multiple mini-game versions of each title. Additional customization features will allow players to earn virtual trophies, furniture and themes to decorate their personal virtual game rooms. The Hasbro Family Game Night lineup will take full advantage of Xbox LIVE community features such as online play, Achievements, the ability to launch new games without leaving the environment, and sharing customized space with friends. The EA Hasbro virtual game closet is slated to open in Spring 2009 with multiple games followed by additional releases throughout the year.

You can always go with an old reliable like the Settlers of Catan (I played that for the first time over Thanksgiving; good game, the Cities & Knights expansion is kinda meh.) The Associated Press dug a little deeper and came up with seven recommendations.

Zooloretto
Jungle Speed
Say Anything
Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries
Incan Gold
Pandemic
Battlestar Galactica

From the writeups, Incan Gold (a risk-reward based game of exploration) sounds like the most fun, and Say Anything sounds like the most social. Well, so long as you not required to stand outside the house holding up a boom box playing "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel. Because that's kinda stalky.

Gift Guide: Table Alternatives to Video Games [Associated Press via AOL]

Genius Products and B1 Games are releasing the Halo Interactive Strategy Game, a product Trevor Drinkwater, President and CEO of Genius Products, says is "an incredibly innovative game that mirrors the hit franchise and will truly resonate with fans." We say that Drinkwater is a truly awesome last name.

Further details on the gameplay, characters and bonus goodies — there's an "unseen exclusive DVD" included — are all in the press release.

Genius Products LLC and B1 Games Unleash First Board Game Based on Microsoft and Bungies’ Highly Successful Video Game Franchise

Halo™ Interactive Strategy Game

Game for All Ages Maintains Critical Elements of the Hit Video Game and Offers Endless Gameplay

SANTA MONICA, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Calling all Halo fans across the universe! Let the battle for supremacy begin as Genius Products, Inc. (OTCBB: GNPI) and B1 Games unveil the first ever board game based on Microsoft and Bungies’ best selling entertainment property - Halo™. The all-new Halo™ Interactive Strategy Game captures the edge-of-your-seat action and storyline of the video game as it gives players the chance to control UNSC Marine and Covenant forces in strategic battles for power. Hitting retail this September, the game brings the Halo universe to a broader audience with its family-friendly features.

“Halo is one of the most recognizable and successful video game franchise of all time and boasts a tremendous worldwide presence that continues to grow,” said Trevor Drinkwater, President and CEO of Genius Products. “Fans of all ages are going to love this extension of the popular brand that offers endless game play. B1 Games has created an incredibly innovative game that mirrors the hit franchise and will truly resonate with fans.”

Featuring the same premise and characters as the video game - including Master Chief, A.I. and Covenant - the Halo™ Interactive Strategy Game offers a modular board that can be re-configured to create a virtually limitless game play experience. In recreating the video game’s signature three dimension graphic design, the game pulls fan-favorite elements from Halo 1, 2, and 3 along with music from the video game’s award-winning soundtrack and features unseen exclusive DVD content to enhance game play.

In the game, players will command armies of three-dimensional collectible character pieces for two different levels of play: Heroic for faster, more casual game play and Legendary for more strategic advanced gamers. Fans can follow storylines that expand the Halo experience in Campaign mode or go head-to-head in interactive battle sequences with Slayer or Capture the Flag modes. The battle options are endless with future add-ons of new adventures, vehicles, characters and weapons to expand the experience.

The Halo™ Interactive Strategy Game is suitable for ages 10+ and will be available at retailers nationwide.

About B1 Games

B1 Games is a premier entertainment and game company that brings a whole new dimension to the way the world has fun. B1 Games incorporates world-class design and proprietary interactive elements to create an entirely unique gaming experience. B1 Games continually pushes the limits of technology and creativity to achieve a game experience that is fun and exciting. The name “B1” symbolizes our belief in bringing families and friends together for a truly interactive shared experience.

About Genius Products

Genius Products, Inc. (OTCBB:GNPI), along with The Weinstein Company Holdings LLC, together owns Genius Products, LLC, a leading independent home-entertainment distribution company that produces, licenses and distributes a valuable library of motion pictures, television programming, family, lifestyle and trend entertainment on DVD and other emerging platforms through its expansive network of retailers throughout the U.S. Genius handles the distribution, marketing and sales for such brands as Asia Extreme(TM), Discovery Kids(TM), Dragon Dynasty(TM), Dimension Films(TM), Entertainment Rights, Classic Media and Big Idea (Entertainment Rights group companies), ESPN®, IFC®, RHI Entertainment(TM), Sesame Workshop®, The Weinstein Company® and WWE®. Genius Products, Inc. is the managing member of Genius Products, LLC, in which it holds a 30% equity interest.

Hasbro Family Game Night will include Wii-friendly versions of Connect Four, Sorry, Boggle, Yahtzee, Battleship and Sorry Sliders.

The games are all played on a table in the Hasbro Family Game Night living room, which can be decorated with unlockable themes and items.

I had a chance to check out two of the games during the presentation.

In Connect Four you use your Remote to drop red or black checkers into plastic columns as you try to line-up four of the checkers before the other player does. While you can play with standard rules, the developers also came up with a twist that gives random checkers special power ups, like the ability to lock the other player from dropping checker in a column, or blowing up surrounding pieces.

Sorry Sliders, a new board game soon to be released in toy stores by Hasbro, players swing the remote to slide small Sorry pieces down the board. The object is to try and get the piece to stop as close to the center of the board as possible. Each player takes turns, trying to both slide their pieces into position and knock their opponents pieces away. Each round ends with players using the scored points to move their pieces to home.

I'm not sure if I can see a family gathering around a television to play classic board games, but Hasbro Family Game Night certainly has some potential and, at least initially, seems fun.

"A game is a game is a game" — are they? The plethora of popular card and board game adaptations — and their popularity — would seem to indicate 'yes.' Over at the Escapist, Scott Jon Siegel muses on the future and potential of adaptations on a number of levels. Especially when one considers the casual market, familiar electronic adaptations make for potential casual hits:

Any classic non-digital game has the potential to become a casual hit. The turn-based nature of these games makes for a slower, more relaxed play experience. A working knowledge of many titles allows players to approach with some degree of skill right off the bat, lowering the barrier to entry. Name recognition also goes a long way in promoting sales. Any non-gamer perusing the titles on Xbox Live Arcade will more quickly download UNO than Outpost Kaloki X, Monopoly than Mutant Storm Empire. Board and card games are inherently casual experiences, and the digital adaptation market can only benefit from the growing success of the casual cash cow.

He also talks about traditional board games being a training ground for game design, and the increasing popularity of adaptations like Scrabulous in social networking situations.

Simplified Systems [The Escapist]

Imagine all of the fun, strategy, and intrigue of a game of Risk without having to set aside an entire evening in order to play a game through to conclusion! It makes me want to break out my old copy of the game and make up my own objectives, though in my case they'd be more like, "Avoid landing on any soda stains", which is much trickier than it sounds.

So why is this important to the video gaming crowd? As Newsweek's N'Gai Croal reminds us, back in August EA signed a deal with Hasbro granting them the rights to create casual games based off of Hasbro intellectual properties. While the original Risk would never have worked via Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network, Risk: Black Ops would be simply sublime. We'll keep an eye out, but don't be surprised if EA jumps on this one in the near future.

Risk: Black Ops [Gamers With Jobs via Newsweek's Level Up]

"They may look at it and go 'Phhht, I get more out of a video,' " Fix said. "But board games can always change; video games like Halo or Guitar Hero always have the same result. ...We're not saying there's anything wrong with video games. They can be fun, but there are some great board games out there."

Interestingly, I had a similar experience with a board game gone virtual recently. I had grabbed Carcassone when it was free on XBLA a while back and while I was staying with a friend, I got him to play with me on occasion. We wanted to include some other friends who weren't apt to pick up a game controller, so I went to the local board game store (who coincidentally refuses to carry any video game related items like Eye of Judgment cards) and picked up a boxed copy the game. I brought it back to the house and the hold it had on the various roomates was astonishing. Everyone in the house became instantly addicted and I found myself much preferring sitting down at the table and playing than using the XBLA version. It was a much more engrossing experience and I found my strategy was much sharper when faced with flesh and blood opponents.

While I'm not prepared to make the bold statement that board games are greater than video games, they certainly have their charm and for a truly social gaming experience, they can't be beat. Sitting around a table with friends and the tactile nature of the game with its tiles is an something you just don't get with video games. And on a side note, if you ever want to really hate your friends, get The Tower expansion pack. Friendship to bitter enemies in thirty minutes guaranteed.

New games come aboard [Detroit Free Press]

You create a character, either male or female, enter in your name, create a business card, and you are dropped into a hotel that serves as the main hub for the game. Different rooms in the hotel host different events. Depending on the difficulty level of the opponents, entering each room costs a certain amount of game money, with payouts for winning matches. Money can then be used to buy clothing and new hairstyles to help personalize your avatar. While most of the rooms consist of four-player Blokus, there are rooms dedicated to the two-player travel version of the game for those looking for a quick fix. There are also three special rooms - the basement tutorial, the online room for connecting to other players, and your own room, where you can personalize your avatar and look through trophies you have won.

My only real complaint about Blokus Portable: Steambot Championship is the Steambot portion of the game. You play against characters from the Steambot universe who start and end ever turn with inane prattle about characters and going-ons in the game universe. Every time they place a piece say things like, "I learned everything I know about music from Rosemary" or "I wonder how I ended up getting washed up on that beach?" For those of you unfamiliar with the Steambot universe, this makes absolutely no sense. I found no options to turn this chatter off either, so players who buy the game just for the Blokus name are going to be very confused.

According to Majesco's press release, Blokus has sold over three million copies worldwide, and is the most acclaimed board game of the century. I'd say they'd be better off catering to those three million people than trying to appease a small group of fans at the risk of alienating the larger audience. If they slip in an option to turn off the chatter, I'd be completely sold on the game.

If you're interested in Blokus, head over to http://www.blokus.com for product information, rules, news, and even an online flash version of the game that pits you against players from around the world. Nifty!

A simExchange analyst Jesse Divnich thinks the board games made video games are the next big thing, telling Gamasutra that:

For emerging genres, we will likely see an influx of "board game" type titles over the next few years. I expect Scene It? on the Xbox 360 to have moderate success.

Since the Wii came out, I have called it the "board game for a new generation" — using the metaphor of a board game that many families still [play] but did more often before TV.

Either way, the bigger message seems to be that the future successful titles will bring the whole family together, ala board game...though not necessarily being a board game proper. Luckily, this should mean that tomorrow is filled with more than a bunch of 720p Monopoly ports.

Analysts: 'Board'/Party Games The Next Guitar Hero? [gamasutra]

MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT BRINGS AWARD-WINNING BOARD GAME 'BLOKUS' TO THE PLAYSTATION PORTABLE SYSTEM

Portable Version Joins Strategic Gameplay with Steambot Chronicles Characters

EDISON, N.J., December 5, 2007 - Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, today announced Blokus Portable: Steambot Championship for the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable). Developed by IREM Software Engineering Inc., Blokus Portable is based on the world-renowned Blokus board game that has earned 26 prestigious toy awards and ranks among the best of 2007 holiday board games lists. This fan and critic favorite now blends its outstanding strategic gameplay with the anime characters from the Steambot Chronicles series to create a unique portable title.

"With three million units sold and credit as the most acclaimed game of the century, the Blokus board game is clearly an international sensation," said Gui Karyo, Executive Vice President of Operations, Majesco. "Based on this incredibly successful property, Blokus Portable combines strategic gameplay with 16 player support to make it the perfect social puzzle game that's easy to pick-up, yet hard to put down."

The rules of Blokus are simple: Each player places his/her pieces on the board in turn, ensuring that pieces of the same color touch at one or more corners, but never along the sides. The objective is to strategize and place as many pieces as you can before your opponent/s beats you to it. Based on the same basic rules and intuitive gameplay that made the board game a success, Blokus Portable allows up to 16 people to play in ad hoc wireless mode, or up to three friends to play simultaneously using one Universal Media Disc (UMD™) in the ad hoc game sharing mode. Blokus Portable combines the original 4-player Blokus plus the 2-player Blokus Travel/Duo, while letting players customize their own character and unlock 18 additional characters from the Steambot Chronicles series.

Blokus Portable: Steambot Championship will launch in early 2008 for a suggested retail price of $19.99. For additional information, please visit www.majescoentertainment.com.

Demo: Culdcept SAGA [Xbox Live's Major Nelson]

Who has the biggest brain? The new mental fitness game bases on the original best-selling Nintendo DS title. Players are mentally and physically challenged in five different categories: Analyze, Compute, Identify, Memorize and Think. The player who collects the most tokens by answering questions correctly wins. Speed and accuracy count - not smarts - when answering questions at the Big Brain Academy.

University Games Big Brain Academy Game [Amazon Product Page via bits bytes pixels & sprites]

Since the very beginning of the company back in 1990, Wizards of the Coast has always been about community involvement. From letting players of Magic: The Gathering craft how card strategies and deck building evolved, to listening to players suggestions for expanding their various game mechanics, to letting players design their own cards via the Wizards website, WotC has always seen the players as one of the most important parts of their business.

Take Randy Buehler, for instance. A student who stumbled upon the professional Magic tournament scene, he was eventually hired by Wizards and is now the Vice President of Digital Gaming. I recently had a chance to speak to Randy regarding the next evolution of the Wizards of the Coast community a online store unveiled by the company today called Gleemax.

Introducing Gleemax

Gleemax is, at its core, the ultimate hobby store online.

Wizards has always done the majority of its business through a core network of hobby stores and the communities those stores create. When my friends and I got into gaming, we walked into a hobby store and found a world of awesome games, a guy behind the counter who knew everything about them, and a bunch of people just like us who wanted to play.

I've known the feeling myself. Having my own local store, where I can not only count on finding the latest in strategy and card gaming available, but people to play and discuss those games with. Gleemax aims to bring that same sense of community into the online world, creating a community that is for all intents and purposes the single largest hobby store ever created, combining games, community-generated content and Wizards own content into *the* online destination for strategy gaming.

Right now the tabletop and strategy gamers are scattered across many websites and they can have a hard time finding each other or finding information about good games to play. Gleemax fixes this problem.

It's All About The Everybody

The key to the entire Gleemax experience is community. Any site can sell you games or toss out some relevant news, but Gleemax aims to create a web destination that not only caters to the gaming community globally, but locally as well.

At the center of it all is the personal user page. Every gamer who signs up to the website will get to create and customize his or her page to their heart's content. Want to show off your D&D character? Your most successful Magic deck build? The tools will be in place to do al this and more.

Wizards of the Coast also wants local stores to sign up, promote themselves, and organize events through an online calendar that will automatically populate local players' pages with upcoming events.

The focus of the Gleemax project isn't on promoting Wizards' games, but on bolstering the strategic gaming segment across the board and reaping the benefits of a much healthier market. Because of this sweeping strategy, gamers will be able to find opponents or information on any number of popular games - not just the WotC ones.

Personally I think the community aspect is an excellent idea. As a strategy gamer who fell out of touch with the scene due to time restraints and problems finding people to play with, I'd love to be able to hop onto my home page and find a D&D group looking for more or a chance to dust off my large collection of Spellfire cards.

Yeah, I bought Spellfire cards.

The Games We Play

A home for gamers would be nothing without games, and Gleemax is looking to corner the market on strategy games. While details are still sketchy, Randy did drop some tantalizing tidbits that are sure to give the strategy and board game player pleasant little shivers.

At the forefront is an Indie Strategy Games Portal that will be populated with games that have been given the 'Wizards Seal-Of-Approval'...sort of like an employee's picks shelf at your local gaming store.

Then there'll be a Board Games Portal that will feature both new and classic board games available for online play, including titles from Avalon Hill, the creators of the Civilization game that inspired Sid Meier's PC classic.

All that on top of the ever popular Magic Online and a new title called Uncivilized: The Goblin Game, which is a turn-based web-based game that is played much like play-by-mail games of the past. Meant for gamers without much time on their hands, it sounds like a perfectly lovely way to waste time when you're supposed to be, say, writing a feature story.

Management Content

While the focus is on all games, the Wizards folks are still maintaining a heavy presence on Gleemax. On top of the same sort of news and reviews found at Wizards.com, users will be able to read blogs from Wizards' inside players, gaining insight into the game design process as well as opening a strong dialog between the game makers and the fans who play them. A "natural extension of things that Wizards has stood for since the early 90's."

One Board To Rule Them All

Furthering the notion that Gleemax isn't just for WotC games, Wizards is forming an Advisory board to help shape the future of Gleemax. Not only are they bringing together top thinkers and leaders from the tabletop and digital gaming industry, they're also looking to recruit regular gamers onto the panel, which will meet several times a year to discuss the direction Gleemax is taking.

The gamers themselves will be chosen via contests coming soon to the Gleemax website, starting with an open casting call next week.

And In The End...

If there is one thing I took away from our conversation, it's that Randy Buehler is passionate about the potential of Gleemax.

We think Gleemax is the right thing to do for Wizards of the Coast, the right thing to do for the tabletop hobby gaming industry, and the right thing to do for a sizable group of digital gamers who are being ignored by the mainstream computer gaming industry. We want to build a home that all three groups can feel comfortable in and I think it will change the face of the hobby gaming industry forever. If we pull this off, then Gleemax will become the center of the online strategy and roleplaying gaming universe.

The Epoch board games will set you back $45 for the Crystal Attack set and $35 for The Tower set. Both are set to ship to importers sometime in March. Michael McWhertor

Eds Note: Says reader kyo k: "the 1st board game is a maze that you navigate w/ a pinball like pellet. The handle tips the entire "Maze" and the pinball (Mario) rolls around the maze avoiding traps and etc.."

NSMB Board Games [NCSX]

C++ Developer - Xbox 360 games. Experience of C/C++ programming. Development on at least one game title and a working knowledge of 2D graphics, 3D graphics, DirectX, networking and Xbox/Xbox 360. This role will involve writing a Xbox 360 title for Xbox Live Arcade. The game will be an adaptation of the classic board game Go, and will support a 3D view and networked Xbox Live play.

For those unfamiliar, Go is a game that features a large grid covered with black and white discs, with the object being to capture territory from your opponent. It is also the game movies have smart people play when they can't find a chess board. Michael Fahey

C/C++ Developer - Xbox 360 Games [JobServe.com via Eurogamer - Thanks Fred!]

Hopefully, if you read this site, you actually play video games. But, some of you, for reasons unknown, play board games. It's not that we are graphics whores, but we just like pixels—any will do. And board games seem so 1983. For those that disagree, Microsoft has found a way to validate your wonderfully out-of-date hobby by offering classic European board games like Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne and Alhambra on Xbox Live. No word on pricing or release dates, but Crecente told, no ordered, me to post this, saying folks were truly excited about these XBL incarnations. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [1Up]

Sandwiched between the Operation and some Doraemon game, there was this jewel: the Pokemon version of Life. While the original game taught you players about managing money, being an adult and dumb luck, Pokemon Life teaches important lessons like how to manage a Pokedex, ways to get creatures in your Pokeball and that monsters only "faint" when they get their asses kicked. That's life learning, kids. Brian Ashcraft

Previous: Roll the Dice with MegaMan [Kotaku]