After a month break, Off the Radar returns as fresh as a daisy, and this week it’s the start of the Xbox LIVE Arcade two-part special. In the first part, I’ll be investigating what’s happened to Peggle and Zombie Wranglers.
Peggle is one of the most addictive PC and Mobile titles and it was in early 2008 that PopCap Games announced the title would be shooting onto the Xbox LIVE Arcade. With no sign of the title throughout 2008, what happened to it? It appears the title was simply delayed for unknown reasons.
In September 2008, the first details of the title were revealed. The game was originally expected to release in the second quarter of 2008 but it was then announced it would be released towards Q4 – after the game entered the final development stages. Q4 came and went with no sign of the game, and it wasn’t until February when I spotted the title would feature on PopCap Arcade Volume 2.
With the retail game releasing at the end of March, it made sense for the Xbox LIVE Arcade version to release slightly sooner. My prediction was improved with the unveiling of the achievements at the end of February. But when is the game releasing? Joystiq Xbox revealed the game would likely to come to life this month though there was no mention of it in the ‘Days of Arcade‘, so it is looking more and more unlikely.
Zombie Wranglers is up next, and there isn’t really a lot to say about it. The game appears to have been delayed, though this could be for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the game was released on the Xbox LIVE Arcade though was quickly taken down towards the end of 2008. The reason for the removal of the title is unknown. Have Microsoft forgotten to re-release the title? Secondly, the game has already been reviewed by three magazines, receiving an average score of 53%. Was this score too low enough for its developers, who have decided to give the game a makeover? Similarly to Peggle, we have the achievements, though unlike Peggle, this doesn’t mean we’ll be seeing the title anytime soon.
Next week, the Xbox LIVE Arcade special continues with a look at where Banjo-Tooie and South Park have got to.
