XBLA Wednesday 4/23 - Lost Cities

[Psykoboy2]

Major Nelson (http://majornelson.com/archive/2008/04/21/this-week-on-arcade-lost-cities.aspx) just let us know that this week's Xbox Live Arcade title is Lost Cities (http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/l/lostcitiesxboxlivearcade/). It's a card game and it'll run you 800 MS Points. Risk it all on the expeditions of a lifetime in the award-winning card game Lost Cities™ as it comes to life on Xbox LIVE® Arcade. Draw from a pool of cards to amass the most points, play your cards wisely, take chances with your money, and create the best strategy to outwit your opponent on the road to victory.


True to the original: All of the fun and strategy of the original card game has been faithfully translated for the console audience.
Easy to learn: Jump into a game and start devising strategies within minutes.
Exotic locales: Manage prosperous expeditions through the lost cities of the frozen Himalayas to the sandy deserts of Egypt, and even the Brazilian rain forest.
Online play: Play with up to three of your friends over Xbox LIVE.


I think 800 is a bit too steep for me on this one, however, I'll pay it if it's good enough. I'm pretty sure some of you have already had experience with this game - worth the 800?

[MSUStud911]

I stopped reading when I saw "card game".

[AgtFox]

Thanks much Scott, added to the Weekly Release post.

[Mashidar]

I'll pick it up, I enjoy card games online so I don't see a reason to pass it up ATM.

[Lima Beans]

Ill be buying this..

For those of you who havnt played it.. Its like a 2 person version of solitaire. Basically has the same stacking/matching game of solitare, but both players are doing it with one deck of cards.

And instead of playing cards it has an architectual theme. Its fun, even if the scoring is kind of obtuse (video game version should help that a lot).

[Baron Samedi]

Awesome. I didn't know this one was coming out, but I've owned the card game for several years now. It's a great two-player affair, that's a bit math intensive, but this version should take care of that one. I'm genuinely curious to know how four player will work out. And if anyone is interested, the game was designed by Reinar Knizia, who is easily one of the all time great designers.

[AntB]

I think 800 is a bit too steep for me on this one, however, I'll pay it if it's good enough.

Isn't that the general consensus for just about any XBL game?

[AgtFox]

Isn't that the general consensus for just about any XBL game?
Yeah, except I think we're getting a fantastic deal for the upcoming Bionic Commando: Rearmed. Heck, we're even getting Hitler's (or should I say Master-D?) exploding head!

[Norse]

To my surprise I've had a lot of fun with Catan and Carcassone recently, so this might be something I'll try out. I didn't see myself enjoying these games since I don't care for them in real life.

[Karmakin]

ACK

It's really not the Halos or the Gears of War or the whatever that makes me wish I had a 360.

It's the Catans, the Caracassonnes and now the Lost City. (When Talisman comes out my head will explode)

[Baron Samedi]

It's the Catans, the Caracassonnes and now the Lost City. (When Talisman comes out my head will explode)

That would be fantastic. There are so many great boardgames out there just looking for a home on XBLA, PSN or WiiWare. The great thing about these versions is the online, no setup/teardown times and no calculations. Really brings the best of both worlds. The only thing I miss the face-to-face interaction and all the inside jokes that develop when playing with a core group.

[Norse]

Yeah, except I think we're getting a fantastic deal for the upcoming Bionic Commando: Rearmed. Heck, we're even getting Hitler's (or should I say Master-D?) exploding head!

Well, games like GTAIV or Oblivion give us more than 100hours of entertainment in huge worlds, but still I don't have problems paying the same $60 for a short game like Condemned 2. GTAIV and Oblivion are clearly the better deals in terms of content, just like Bionic Commando. That doesn't mean I have problems paying the same price for a game with less content as long as I find it entertaining. $10 is nothing these days and I spend more on other, less substantive stuff.

[Vader582]

I'm going to hold off buying this one and hope it is the next freebie/half price goodie from MS for some botched XBL shenanigans.

[Psykoboy2]

I still want my Scrabble, Monopoly, Connect Four, Sorry, Trouble, Life, and Clue.

[spacemanspiff757]

I still want my Scrabble, Monopoly, Connect Four, Sorry, Trouble, Life, and Clue.

I agree with you on all those, but would like to add Risk...that would be fun to play

[Haemorrhage]

I still think Xbox Live needs a good trivia game like Jeopardy.

[Baron Samedi]

I still want my Scrabble, Monopoly, Connect Four, Sorry, Trouble, Life, and Clue.

DS has you covered; although, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of XBLA. You should also check out Clubhouse Games, which is a game every DS owner should have.

I still think Xbox Live needs a good trivia game like Jeopardy.

Does Scene It! count?

[Psykoboy2]

DS has you covered; although, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of XBLA. You should also check out Clubhouse Games, which is a game every DS owner should have.

Well, that's great, but I want these on XBLA.

[Haemorrhage]

Does Scene It! count?


I have Scene It. It is a great party game, but it's only movie trivia. I think the Scene It controllers would be perfect for a Jeopardy game.

[Food Nipple]

Awesome. I didn't know this one was coming out, but I've owned the card game for several years now. It's a great two-player affair, that's a bit math intensive, but this version should take care of that one. I'm genuinely curious to know how four player will work out. And if anyone is interested, the game was designed by Reinar Knizia, who is easily one of the all time great designers.

I think it bears repeating that the game is primarily designed for two players.

The four player mode uses two decks and I think is two teams of two.

[Baron Samedi]

I think it bears repeating that the game is primarily designed for two players.

The four player mode uses two decks and I think is two teams of two.

I had forgotten it could be played as such. So you're into boardgames Food?

[Shinigami]

I still think Xbox Live needs a good trivia game like Jeopardy.

Wits and Wagers is due out soon I believe.

[Food Nipple]

I had forgotten it could be played as such. So you're into boardgames Food?

I love board games, the problem is always rounding up people to play. It's pretty rare that I can round up a group of friends to play stuff. The xbox live versions are a godsend. Not only can you always find people to play against, but it's much faster when the game can take care of the scoring and distribution of cards.

I've never played Lost Cities before, but I'll probably pick this up based on everyone's recommendations.

[Baron Samedi]

I love board games, the problem is always rounding up people to play. It's pretty rare that I can round up a group of friends to play stuff. The xbox live versions are a godsend. Not only can you always find people to play against, but it's much faster when the game can take care of the scoring and distribution of cards.

I've never played Lost Cities before, but I'll probably pick this up based on everyone's recommendations.

What do you like to play? Have you played Tigris & Euphrates?

[Food Nipple]

Wits and Wagers is due out soon I believe.

The follow games have been announced for XBLA:

Lost Cities
Magic: The Gathering
Shotest Shogi
Talisman
Ticket to Ride
Wits and Wagers

Thanks NeoGAF (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=282957)

[Baron Samedi]

The follow games have been announced for XBLA:

Lost Cities
Magic: The Gathering
Shotest Shogi
Talisman
Ticket to Ride
Wits and Wagers

Thanks NeoGAF (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=282957)

Talisman and Ticket are gonna make lots of converts.

[agentgray]

I would pay 800 points for Fairway Solitaire, maybe even 1200, but not this.

Such an excellent card game. Don't knock it unless you've tried it: solitaire, golf, and a mini-rpg all wrapped up in a polished, addictive package.

I cannot stand solitaire and I hate golf. that's how good the game is if you get my drift.

[agentgray]

I still think Xbox Live needs a good trivia game like Jeopardy.

When Phil and I were doing the podcast and interviews, Andy Poland of Jellyvision mentioned(hinted) that they were looking at Live as a possible place for their lineup of games.

You Don't Know Jack.

I spit-taked right in the middle of the interview. Anyway, look the episode up. The guy was awesome.

Aw heck(for the lazy): http://www.evilavatarradio.com/?p=60

[Pluvious]

When is Lode Runner coming out?!?>> they announced it ages ago.. >fret<

[Spigot]

I'd be in heaven if YDNJ ever hit the arcade.

I'm interested in this. I loved Carcassone and to a lesser extent, Catan. I haven't bought much on the ol' Arcade of late and this might be right up my alley.

[Crono]

Ill be buying this..

For those of you who havnt played it.. Its like a 2 person version of solitaire. Basically has the same stacking/matching game of solitare, but both players are doing it with one deck of cards.

And instead of playing cards it has an architectual theme. Its fun, even if the scoring is kind of obtuse (video game version should help that a lot).

Sounds way too exciting for me.

[Everblight]

This game is better than it sounds and is definately NOT "just another solitaire game." Here's the description from Boardgamegeek.com (boardgame rating/archive site):

Lost Cities is a two-player card game by Kosmos. The object is to mount profitable expeditions to one or more of the five different lost cities. Card play is quite straightforward, with a few agonizing moments sprinkled through what is mostly a fast-moving game. If you start a given expedition, you'd better make some progress in it, or it'll score you negative points. If you can make a lot of progress, you'll score quite well. After three rounds, the highest total score takes the day.

It ends up being a kind of "push your luck" game where you are interacting with the other player and trying to end up with more points than them but you aren't necessarily working directly against each other on every play.

[KamaItachi]

Team Xbox had quite a positive preview of this a few weeks ago so I'll be pretty interested in this. I've spent 800 points on worse things in the past, and found that I've actually had a lot of fun with Catan and Carcasonne.

There's still the demo and the reliable opinions floating about here as well.

[Spigot]

The thing I like the most about these boardgames being put on XBLA is that the usually byzantine scoring system is streamlined and automated.

[Chrome Dome]

The actual card game is really fun. It's fast enough that the loser isn't totally dejected because he invested hours in the game. Easy to pick up and just enough strategy to keep it interesting. I will not buy it on live for the same reason I wish I had not picked up Catan. There is no local multiplayer, there is no way there could be. This is one of those games where your hand has to be secret so theres no real way to play against someone on the same console.

[Divorced]

Isn't that the general consensus for just about any XBL game?

There have been some that I thought were a bargain. Pacman Championship Edition is awesome! Perfect remake of a classic and I have played the hell out of it. Time Pilot is pretty damn good as well.

[Divorced]

I'd be in heaven if YDNJ ever hit the arcade.

I'm interested in this. I loved Carcassone and to a lesser extent, Catan. I haven't bought much on the ol' Arcade of late and this might be right up my alley.

I have all of the YDKJ games (some of which are a bear getting to run in Vista), but I gotta think they would be too big for XBLA. They are hundreds of megabytes, but I do love the idea of playing them online.

[Deunnero]

EA Has Monopoly (The Game)

So here we go, finally some more official information about the upcoming Monopoly game for the Xbox 360. The Casual Entertainment Label of Electronic Arts Inc. today released additional details on Monopoly (working title), the first Hasbro-branded video game set to launch on next-generation consoles. The game is inspired by Hasbro’s highly anticipated “Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition” board game. Currently, the Monopoly video games are set to release this fall simultaneously with the global launch of the new board game.

I think this will be a retail release, but perhaps an XBLA "original" version to follow in the months after its release.

Full read here. (http://www.360sync.com/2008/04/23/ea-has-monopoly-the-game)

[Spigot]

Well, I picked up Lost Cities and quite like it. Is it worth 800 points? That's debatable, but I liked what I played yesterday. Once you start to figure out the tactics, it is surprisingly deep.

Had a few good 1 on 1 games yesterday too.

[Pluvious]

I haven't seen a worthy arcade title in around 3 months now. I wish MS would start putting out some games that are worth $10.

[Baron Samedi]

I haven't seen a worthy arcade title in around 3 months now. I wish MS would start putting out some games that are worth $10.

N+? Ikaruga?

[Pluvious]

Gibberish to me. <shrug>

[Spigot]

Gibberish to me. <shrug>So what exactly are you looking for in an XBLA title to make it worth 800 points? It has been a little weaker than usual over the past month or two but N+ was awesome and Ikaruga is a must-buy if you don't already have the Cube version or just love shmups.

It's hard to say that those are worthless titles. Maybe not up your alley, but not worthless by any stretch.

[shunoshi]

The follow games have been announced for XBLA:

Lost Cities
Magic: The Gathering
Shotest Shogi
Talisman
Ticket to Ride
Wits and Wagers

Thanks NeoGAF (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=282957)

Wow, shogi. I was really hoping for a Live version of Go before this. I guess good AI is a little easier with chess style games. Looks like I'm going to have to brush up on my shogi now.

As for Lost Cities, fun game, but some of the worst chat coding ever. We had to split off into private chat in order to actually talk to one another. Was it just a bad night on Live or have other people had garbled chat while playing this?

[Spigot]

I had some odd chat the other day.

I forget who I was playing with this morning, but they got to listen to my son singing for about 10 minutes. I'm so sorry :)

[Baron Samedi]

I had some odd chat the other day.

I forget who I was playing with this morning, but they got to listen to my son singing for about 10 minutes. I'm so sorry :)

Not me, but awesome.

[Tel Prydain]

Online drives me nuts... the other person seems to take forever to make their play.

[Spigot]

Online drives me nuts... the other person seems to take forever to make their play.Isn't there something like a 45 second timer per play though? I've never found the wait to be very long.

[Tel Prydain]

Yeah, about 45sec.
The guys I was playing with would use about 35-40 sec of that. Drove me nuts. My turns were almost instant.

[Pluvious]

So what exactly are you looking for in an XBLA title to make it worth 800 points? It has been a little weaker than usual over the past month or two but N+ was awesome and Ikaruga is a must-buy if you don't already have the Cube version or just love shmups.

It's hard to say that those are worthless titles. Maybe not up your alley, but not worthless by any stretch.

I'd pay $10/800 points for Lode Runner in a heartbeat. (they announced it a long while back and I've been patiently waiting for it to drop)

[Baron Samedi]

If anyone's game for a match, send me a PM or something.

[Johan]

I think Arcade has a very healthy diversity of titles; I'm a big fan.

This game, while I enjoy it, is just a bit too "one-trick-pony-ish" for me to drop ten clams on it. I already have a deck IRL, so...I might get it if it ever drops to five clams. Maybe.

[Spigot]

I'm in the "When GTA Wears Out Its Welcome" camp with regards to getting some Lost Cities or other games on. If you happen to see me online, drop me an invite for a game of Carc, Catan or Lost Cities and I might break free of Niko's grip and join you.

[ElektroDragon]

Knights of Charlemagne would have been simpler, and more fun, methinks.

[Baron Samedi]

Tried doubles for the first time last night. Not bad. I'll team up with anybody to rock some Lost Cities.