X-Men: The Arcade Game dated for 360, PS3

It has been 18 years since Konami's six-player X-Men first hit arcades, and now the game is finally ready to come home. In an interview with GameFocus, a Konami representative confirmed that the Xbox 360 version of the game will launch December 15, with the PlayStation 3 edition available starting December 26.


Fun fact: Dazzler was the Jubilee of the '70s and '80s.
As in the original arcade game, players will get to pick from the mutant supergroup's roster and take on Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to save the world. The game features Cyclops, Wolverine, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Storm, and Dazzler as playable heroes and features a veritable army of villainy, including the Sentinels, Pyro, Blob, Mystique, and Juggernaut.

X-Men: The Arcade Game will support up to four in local multiplayer and a full six-player complement in online action. The game will also support leaderboards and arcade-style drop-in multiplayer online, so friends can join in at any point. Additionally, players hosting games online can set the number of allowed players, the difficulty, and the starting level to tailor the experience to their tastes.

The port is being handled by Backbone Entertainment, which has considerable experience making downloadable versions of old games. The Emeryville, California-based studio has previously released downloadable versions of Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. It also developed Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, a compilation of 40 games from Sega's 16-bit system, for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Two Worlds II spinning January 25

Two Worlds II's twisting path to release is nearly complete. TopWare Interactive today confirmed a January 25 release date for the fantasy role-playing game in North America, Ireland, and the UK. Additionally, the company confirmed that publishing partner SouthPeak Interactive had relinquished the UK and Irish publishing rights to TopWare.

Enough drama for an episode of As the Two Worlds Turn.

The news is the latest in a series of unusual twists involving Two Worlds II and apparent issues between its publishing partners. The game had been expected to launch in September, but SouthPeak delayed it, suggesting at the time that the extra months would be used to polish the product. TopWare took exception to that, announcing that the game was completed and ready for sale, but SouthPeak was holding back the release to avoid fourth-quarter competition in the RPG space. (The game has already launched in some European markets, where TopWare said it sold more than 1 million copies in less than three weeks on shelves.)
First announced as an expansion pack in 2007, Two Worlds II was initially scheduled for an early 2008 release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. However, the fantasy role-playing game then picked up full sequel status, as well as multiple delays.
Two Worlds II picks back up with the original's hero, after having languished in prison for a number of years. Gamers find themselves first confronting the nefarious Gandahar (the villain from the original), before setting out on a new quest to save the world. The game also includes new cooperative multiplayer modes, where players can work together to build cities or team up to undertake a dozen story-driven quests.