A Destructoid reader reckons this was shot at a "Christmas Party", though that's where the information dries up. On the "could be" side of things, there's lag at several points, and even a freeze, both issues that are reportedly affecting early development for the camera.

On the "probably not" side, however, is the fact at several instances the movement of the guy's hands have no bearing whatsoever on what's happening on-screen.

Whichever the case may be, it's still an interesting look at how Natal has the potential to change the way you approach a game. Normally, Geometry Wars is a raw shooter, a seat-of-the-pants kind of affair. Combine it with Natal, though, and - provided that's how you'd actually control the game - it suddenly becomes a more synaesthetic experience, as you move from "player" to "conductor".

Is this a Natal-powered game of Geometry Wars? [Destructoid]

Put together by Chris Chudley of Audio Antics, the track is free, and if you're wondering why it sounds so familiar, it's a mix tape consisting of "some of the songs from the entire GW series". Can't argue with free!

A Late Happy New Year [Bizarre, via Offworld]

Sure the news not official, but who cares? We're celebrating all night long until Activision comes around with cops and starts busting heads, shattering dreams and putting those annoying dents into all of our plastic cups.

GEOMETRY WARS RETRO EVOLVED 2 Game (Multi Platform) [OFLC via XBLAH]

So how was it? Hit the jump for our Frankenreview and find out: 5 muffin tops ready for ingestion.

IGN
You'll notice some slowdown issues when things get hectic, and the techno audio and sound effects often fight, having audio levels not always equalized as we'd like them...[but] the colors are still bright, however, and these remain to be some of the best particle effects we've seen on Nintendo's handheld, so while DS is the smallest piece of technology Geometry Wars has ever existed on, it still hold on to the spirit of the game very well.

GameDaily
You move your ship with the D-pad while touching parts of the screen to direct your line of fire. You can also use the face buttons for directional fire, if you prefer a more "old-school" method of play, ala Robotron 2084. The shoulder buttons activate whatever bombs you may need — and you'll definitely need them. Messing around with both the D-pad and the touch-screen takes getting used to, but it's a surprisingly functional control scheme.

Gamespy
Called "geoms," Galaxies' widgets are the game's most interesting gameplay shift...Anytime you kill an enemy with your gun, or your drone kills an enemy, the enemy drops a small yellow geom. Geom gathering forces rethinks of classical circle-strafe Geometry Wars tactics. Various stages filled with walls, mazes and other strangeness will also force you to rethink your routes, but the geoms demand that you actually go, and go quickly, right where you've cleared some enemies

GamesRadar
Fans will notice a significant drop in the amount of cursing and angry restarts that follow deaths. After you die, extra Geoms to unlock new levels or Drones are waiting for you in the menu, and leveling up your collection of Drones or testing your skills in some of the more challenging levels breaks through the monotony of its predecessors one-level grind.

Gamer 2.0
Geometry Wars: Galaxies is the definition of portable fun. Are the graphics great? No. Is the sound revolutionary? Probably not. Does the game make use of online play? No to that as well. But the bottom line here is that it gets the job done and it does what handheld games are essentially supposed to do.

Anyone pick it up yet? What do you think?

Not true I'm afraid. We are working on more Geometry Wars fun... but you won't be seeing it next week.

Sierra has just announced that the anticipated 2007 releases on the Wii and DS will be pushed back to January 18th, 2008. It's two hard knocks to Geometry Wars fans in one day, but I can assure you, Galaxies looks good enough to wait for. Still, we're sorry for catching both of your balls in this one, mega-nutshot.

No Geometry Wars sequel next week [xboxdomain]
Geometry Wars: Galaxies slips to 2008 [play]

While the name may not be immediately familiar, Daglow and Stormfront have developed a number of higher profile games and well-known licensed titles—games like The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the original Neverwinter Nights, Madden NFL and NASCAR titles.

While Daglow conceded that sometimes "next-gen" unfortunately meant the size of one's marketing budget, he defined the generational shift from a hardware point as "any platform that upon its introduction dramatically changes a players view of the potential for interactive entertainment." He spun stories of the next-gen leap at Intellivision where, prior to that console, developers dreamt of machines that could display 32 colors, properly capturing their artistic visions.

The same mostly held true for software but he noted that "unlike hardware, next-gen software is usually recognized in hindsight, not in advance."

Daglow chose a number of hardware platforms and less than original titles as hallmarks of next-gen releases. As the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 meet the hardware requirements that don't "hold developers back", he considers the casual-friendly Wii as next-gen, despite its underperforming hardware specs, mostly for its input device.

Games like Sim City, Guitar Hero, Geometry Wars and World of Warcraft are also worthy of the "next-gen" moniker. He called out Guitar Hero for its focus on in-person social multiplayer and Bizarre Creations' Geometry Wars as it "provide old games can be new again" but I suspect some of that had to do with its runaway Xbox Live Arcade success.

Perhaps the most distressing moment of Daglow's speech was his Oreo analogy. He worried of store shelves filled with not just a package of Oreo cookies, but shelves chock full of Oreos, Oreo Double Stuf, Mint Oreo, Reduced Fat Oreo, Chocolate-filled Oreo and, well, you get the idea. He lamented the missing presence of non-Oreo cookies from grocery store shelves. "Somebody went away," he said with a touch of developer nostalgia "Somebody has disappeared."

Of the handful of keynotes we sat in on today, Daglow's was the one of the most packed and one of the most warmly received. Regardless of what you think of his company's games, let's hope he and his team don't become just another variation on the Oreo cookie.

We're playing our Geometry Wars cards close to our chest right now. As you know, we've just announced Geometry Wars Galaxies for the Nintendo platforms, GW: Mobile for mobile phones, and we've recently released the game onto Steam too....So there's a lot going on but that doesn't mean we've forgotten about the Xbox 360...

...it just means we are making WAY more money doing other stuff. WAY, WAY more.

Geometry Wars: 'we've not forgotten about Xbox 360...' [cvg]

"The controls are intuitive and the visual style is true to the Geometry Wars world," said Martyn Chudley, managing director of Bizarre Creations. "The game has managed to capture the essence of the original game, whilst being tailor made for the strengths of the mobile platforms and their audience."

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved Mobile Exclusively Available On Verizon Wireless Phones

SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT Brings the Console Classic to Get It Now

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and NEW YORK - Verizon Wireless, the leading wireless company with the most reliable wireless voice and data network, and SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, today announced the exclusive release of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved Mobile on select Verizon Wireless Get It Now®-capable phones. Developed in conjunction with Bizarre Creations, the game is faithful to the console original while taking advantage of the on-the-go nature of mobile phones, making Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved Mobile a highly-addictive small screen masterpiece.

The controls utilize four- or eight-way buttons, as well as the keypad for easy maneuverability, so players can fight off an onslaught of enemies with precision. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved Mobile includes eight brand new gameplay modes, including Untouchable, Survivor, Monster, Trenches, Speed, Multiplier, Feline, and Bomber. Players can see how they stack up against other fans via a leaderboard.

"The controls are intuitive and the visual style is true to the Geometry Wars world," said Martyn Chudley, managing director of Bizarre Creations. "The game has managed to capture the essence of the original game, whilst being tailor made for the strengths of the mobile platforms and their audience."

Verizon Wireless Get It Now customers can purchase and download Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved Mobile from the Get Fun & Games shopping aisle in the Get It Now virtual store for $3.49 monthly access or $6.49 for unlimited use purchase. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved Mobile is available on more than 25 popular Get It Now-capable phones from Verizon Wireless, including the enV by LG, MOTOKRZR K1m and Samsung SCH-a950. Download charges for Get It Now applications vary and airtime charges apply when browsing, downloading and using certain applications. Customers need a Get It Now-enabled phone and Verizon Wireless digital service to access the Get It Now virtual store.

The $7.99 downloadable title is, first and foremost, one of the better games to be released on the PlayStation Network service and a fabulous arcade entry. While it may not immediately show its gameplay strengths based on its first planet, the game's frenetic pace and strategy in later levels show what Super Stardust HD is capable of.

What separates SSDHD from the game it willy surely be measured against is the game's weapon system. You'll face three elements in the game, as rock, gold and ice hurtle toward each planet, awaiting your total destruction. Fortunately, you have three upgradeable weapons—the Rock Crusher, Gold Melter and Ice Breaker—each best suited for eliminating a type of asteroid.

Glowing green cores within asteroid pieces will drop tokens that will grant you extra ships, shields, weapon upgrades or points. The Rock Crusher, for example, will upgrade first to fire faster, then fire a double spread, then faster, then a triple spread, then faster, then... you get the idea. Each time you pick up a weapon upgrade token, you'll see, on a percentage basis, how powerful your weapon is.

You're also outfitted with screen clearing bombs and a boost function, assigned to the R2 and L2 buttons, respectively. While bombs are expendable, requiring bomb tokens to refill your compliment, the boost simply refills on its own. In a tight spot? Boost out of there safely, destroying whatever is in your path.

At the end of the planet's five-round cycle, you'll take on an end-of-level boss, usually a spaceship out to destroy you. They're challenging, adding an extra element of danger as you dodge their fire while avoiding the dozens of pieces of floating debris.

Graphically, the game is a rich, spark-filled treat. It explodes with colored lighting effects but runs at a smooth clip no matter how many objects are thrown at you. Occasionally, this intense action can obscure enemies behind showers of particle effects, resulting in the odd unforeseen death and the occasional surprise kill.

The only initial complaint I have about the game is in its default view mode. I would suggest changing the camera to "far" to get a better view of the battlefield when on the run from asteroids.

Otherwise, if you're looking for a good shooter that features solid single player and two player co-op, one that evokes gameplay feelings of Asteroids, Smash TV, Raiden or Geometry Wars, Super Stardust HD is a fairly safe bet at a decent price.

We wanted to expand upon the game, however to do this we looked inwards to help expand the game outwards. It's very easy for games to become overcomplicated or to loose in their focus. A game like Geometry Wars is all about the detail, and there is no way we were going to lose sight of that. Once we were happy with this we started to create the nucleus of the design and Galaxies was born.

Lots of prototyping then ensued to test the fundamentals would work. Once confident of the results the next step was to find someone to help develop it. The team at Kuju impressed us from the beginning as they really did understand the detail of the original game, and grasped our ambitions on how to take it forward on the Wii and DS.

There's going to be a lot to sample in the new game. Multiplayer is already starting to look like it will cause some fierce lunchtime rivalry in the office!

There is a new single player campaign that has new battle grids, game types, enemies, strategies, weapons and a companion to follow you along for the journey.

Yet with all of this, it still retains the essence of Geometry Wars.

The post then goes on to give a sort of dev team roll call, naming off all of the people working on the game and talking about their roles in its creation. The game, they say, is progressing at a "sweet rate" so hopefully we'll see something soon.

Geometry Wars [IGN]

If that's not exactly what you were looking for, you can still wait for the the upcoming Nintendo DS and Wii versions, Geometry Wars: Galaxies, or simply hold out hope for a Gizmondo version. Or you can choose to stew in the comments and bitch about Windows Vista, Steam or some other source of frustration. Michael McWhertor

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved [Steampowered]

BIZARRE CREATIONS DEBUTS GEOMETRY WARS: RETRO EVOLVED FOR WINDOWS XP ON STEAM

PC gamers can now play the hit arcade shooter via Steam for just $2.50

Liverpool, UK, June 18, 2007 - Bizarre Creations and Valve today announce the worldwide debut of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved for Windows XP on Steam, Valve's leading online platform for the distribution and management of PC games. This multiple award-winning game is available to PC gamers via Steam for an introductory price of $2.50. Starting June 22, the game will be priced at $3.95.

The debut of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved for Windows XP delivers a pixel-perfect recreation of the game that has captured the attention and acclaim of console gamers and critics alike. The game is an old school style shooter remixed for the 21st century with next generation graphics and deep, modern gameplay that is easy to pick up and hard to put down.

"With over 13 million active accounts, Steam is the ideal platform for launching Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved for Windows XP," said Martyn Chudley, Creative Director at Bizarre Creations. "We hope to continue the success of Geometry Wars by introducing its award-winning gameplay to one of gaming's largest communities."

"Geometry Wars has opened a new category in gaming with its blend of classic and innovative gameplay," said Jason Holtman, director of business development at Valve. "The addition of this title to Steam's growing catalog of casual and arcade-style games is a milestone in our efforts to expand the content and services offered to gamers around the world."

For more information about Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved and Steam, please visit www.steamgames.com

About Bizarre Creations
Bizarre Creations is an independent developer, based in Liverpool, UK. Established in 1994, the company is famed for such high profile franchises as Formula 1, Fur Fighters, Geometry Wars, Project Gotham Racing, and The Club. Bizarre prides itself on providing high-quality next-generation gaming experiences that excel in gameplay, graphics, audio and technology. Find them on the web at www.bizarrecreations.com.

About Steam
Steam is a leading platform for the delivery and management of games and digital content, and has pioneered its broadband services to over 13 million customers with core and casual games from today's leading publishers and developers.

For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com

The game comes with all the goodness of the 360 version including both Retro and Evolved versions, plus a slew of features new to the Nintendo systems. Features like co-op, simultaneous, and versus multiplayer modes, a mission-based campaign for the solo artist needing more motivation than just the joy of killing shapes, new weapons, and new enemies to destroy. There'll even be bonus content unlocked via Wii / DS connectivity, and bonuses are always good.

There is absolutely nothing bad I can say about more Geometry Wars. I doubt I could ever get sick of the game, and I fully welcome developer Kuju to try and prove me wrong. Michael Fahey

The next Evolution Of Top Selling Xbox Live® Arcade Masterpiece Geometry Wars Comes To Nintendo Wii And Nintendo DS

Geometry Wars: Galaxies Game to Feature All New Single-player and Multiplayer Modes, Enemies and Weapons

READING, ENGLAND (25, May 2007) - Sierra Entertainment, a division of Vivendi Games, announced today that Geometry Wars™: Galaxies, a 2D arcade shooter game, will be coming to Nintendo exclusively on the Wii Console and Nintendo DS system. The Geometry Wars: Galaxies videogame is developed by Kuju Entertainment (Surrey) and is the follow-up to Bizarre Creations' Xbox LIVE® Arcade sensation, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved.

The Geometry Wars: Galaxies videogame delivers an all new mission-based campaign where players blast-off on action-paced quests across the galaxy, defending solar systems one by one, defeating waves of alien enemies on new and classic Battle Grids. The controls have been optimized for Nintendo systems, allowing gamers to use the Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™ controller or DS touch screen to execute hotshot moves as never before.

For the first time ever, the Geometry Wars videogame will let players battle via hot seat, co-op, simultaneous and versus in multiplayer mode. Those that own both the Nintendo DS and Wii can link the game together using Wi-Fi to unlock bonus content. Elite players will be able to challenge the universe by posting high scores on the Wii's online leader board.

The Geometry Wars: Galaxies videogame also includes the full version of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, winner of IGN's 2005 Best XBLA Title of The Year.

"The Geometry Wars: Galaxies videogame is an entertaining title blending old-school arcade fun with next-gen gameplay and action," said Al Simone, SVP of Global Marketing for Sierra Entertainment. "We are excited to bring the Geometry Wars brand to the Nintendo platform as both the Wii and DS enable a fun and frenetic experience for gamers."

For more information, please visit the game's official Web site at http://www.sierra.com/geometrywarsgalaxies/.

The folks at Binaryzoo have a new game to unleash on the PC world. Echoes is a sort of cross between Geometry Wars and Asteroids with lots of flashing lights and pretty colors. Fortunately, for those of you apt to have seizures during long strobe sections, there is a non seizure setting that can be implemented.

Echoes is currently a PC only game, but it is available for free on Binaryzoo's website and for a free game, it's very well put together. Online leaderboards are currently in development so you can show off your hot shot score to the world, or at least to anyone who cares to look. Flynn De Marco

Echoes [Binaryzoo]
[via JayisGames]

Those charitable donations went to the Marie Curie Cancer Care organization which provides free nursing care for terminally ill patients. So, don't let that horrid pounds-to-dollars exchange rate get you down, people are doing good things out there! Kudos to the participants. Michael McWhertor

Bizarre folk raise 4,000 for Marie Curie [Bizarre Online]

It's official. Xbox Live Arcade is getting more leg-room with the 512MB Memory Unit, which will begin retailing for US $49.99 in North America starting this April. The 512MB Memory Unit comes pre-loaded with Xbox Live Arcade title Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved for a limited time. What's more, the 64MB Memory Unit will see a drop in price: From $39.99 to $29.99. According to a recent press release, Microsoft will show off the following XBLA titles at GDC:

• Boom Boom Rocket (EA and Bizarre Creations). This eagerly anticipated title from EA and Bizarre Creations is a hypnotic rhythm music game that will launch on Xbox LIVE Arcade this spring, priced at 800 Microsoft Points.
• 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures (Sierra Online and Wanako Games). The first outdoor sports game on Xbox LIVE Arcade, "3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures" lets players putt their way through 36 fun-filled holes on wild courses that include settings such as the Classic Carnival and the fantastical Outer Space.
• Eets: Chowdown (Klei Entertainment Inc.). A completely revamped version of the popular PC title, Eets: Chowdown offers a fun puzzle game experience unlike anything else available on Xbox LIVE Arcade, and features new items and 120 new levels.
• Jetpac Refuelled (Rare Ltd.). This is a new take on Rare/Ultimate's 1983 classic space blaster with enhanced graphics and Xbox LIVE features; players must clear a path through hordes of aliens to refuel their ship and amass a fortune over the course of more than 100 high-definition levels.
• Pinball FX (ZEN Studios Ltd.). Pinball FX offers an unparalleled pinball experience that will be fun for novices and experts alike, with realistic ball physics and stunning 3-D tables. Pinball FX also features real-time, head-to-head competition over Xbox LIVE and Xbox LIVE Vision camera support.

Not a surprise, but nice to know that it's now official. Brian Ashcraft

New Memory Unit [Microsoft]

Halo 2 may not be playable between the Xbox 360 and Vista, despite what a Microsoft press release lead us all to believe, but at least PC gamers will be getting some hot Uno PC versus 360 action on.

It looks like they also might be bringing Geometry Wars to Vista. About 45 minutes in to Microsoft's CES keynote the game pops up in the Vista gaming montage. This shouldn't come as a surprise. Microsoft recently shot down the Geometry Wars clone for the PC, GridWars, and it's a pretty easy port.

[Thanks for the tip Brian]

What can we say about Trigonometry Wars? It's Geometry Wars for your PSP... only a hell of a lot uglier!

We'd say more, but even the website is pretty scant on details. The programmer apparently believes pictures speak louder than words. And what do those pictures say? "Fun!" Then, "Fugly!"

But fugly or not, the PSP needs as many fun games as it can get. God knows, Sony's having issues getting them out there. Homebrew, yet again, to the rescue. Florian Eckhardt

Trigonometry Wars [Easy Monkey] (Thanks, Yab!)

The details of the Xbox Live Arcade retail release are starting to trickle down and we've now got a preliminary game list, as well as some illumination on Microsoft's retail strategy for the title.

The plan is to release Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged in the nation's retailers as a budget title that will also carry a one month subscription to Xbox Live Gold. The hope is that this will prod buyers into subscribing to Live permanently.

The list of games includes:

• Geometry Wars Evolved
• Texas Hold 'Em Poker
• Bejeweled 2 Deluxe
• Outpost Kaloki X
• Wik: Fable of Souls
• Harwood Backgammon

So a pretty even mix between more traditional "yo mama" types of casual games and the more frenetic arcade experiences Live can do so well. It's due out in October for about 20 pounds. Off the top of my lazy head, that's close to 30 bucks, so not a terrible deal for a handful of games and a free month of Xbox Live. Florian Eckhardt

XBox Live Arcade Unplugged [Total Videogames]

So can Live Arcade be as successful in retails? Peter Moore is talking about dishing out a lot of the Live Arcade games such as Geometry Wars and Smash TV onto a Retail SKY to reach the other 50% of gamers.

Microsoft's not commenting, but as a compendium disc, this might be pretty cool, and be useful to gamers who want to clear some storage space but still have some small, good games readily at hand. Florian Eckhardt

XBox Live Arcade [Next Generation]