Ya know, X-box Live Arcade, has to be one of the best additions to the Live service. Seriously, between giving up and coming developers the chance to showcase their talents, simple social games (like Uno), and old-school classic arcade games, XLA is great.

Speaking of old-school arcade games, nothing fits that bill like pinball. The flashing lights, little silver ball…ah, yes. Leave it to XLA to bring back my golden days. Pinball Fx was released via Live earlier this week, for 800 points, and I’ve gotta say, they got it right.

Obviously, the graphics are well done. Each of the three tables that come with the game, look exactly how I’d expect a real-world table to look. There is a nice amount of detail given, from the reflection of the ball, to the external elements of the tables. The gear-shift actually moves when you get into a good groove on the racing-themed table. Yes, its minor, but a nice touch.

The gameplay is everything it should be: equal parts skill and luck. Honestly, if you’re familiar with pinball, the game-play won’t be a big shock to anyone. At least this way, you don’t have to worry about the cheap-skate arcade owner not tightening up the bumpers and flippers.

I only have two complaints with this title. The first is the lack of a top-down camera. I appreciate the multiple views that they offer, but I prefer something a little bit more like the old 8-bit NES Pinball view.

The second is that for 800 points, they only give you three tables. Sure, more are promised through the marketplace, but a game of this nature is about variety, as much as anything. Hopefully they won’t take the Lumines route, and charge for multiple downloads, in order to get the whole game.

Overall, I’d have to say that this game is well worth the price, and time to download. If you’re a pinball fan, you owe it to yourself to give it a go.

Pinball FX for the Xbox 360: B

Demo confirmed….. as well as other new details! Interview was conducted with Heavenly Sword Producer Kyle Shubel.

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The latest issue of Official PlayStation Magazine (UK) reached subscribers today, bearing a 14-page GTA IV preview.

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Microsoft decreases their first quarter losses in the Entertainment and Devices Division. The secret? Ship less 360s.

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Jack’s lawsuit against Kotaku/Gawker Media has been thrown out, for now. Details and thoughts ahead!

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Blizzard added three new positions on their job openings page yesterday for a “next-gen MMO.”

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Sony has finally announced the (first?) EyeToy for PS3, called simply the PlayStation Eye. With an array of four microphones, two zoom levels, and capture rate as high as 120fps, the Eye promises to deliver unprecedented cam-enhanced gameplay

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Ken Kutaragi, has announced that he is stepping down from his executive position at Sony. Of course, the conspiracy theorists will go nutso over this one, but nomatter what you may think, he is one of the forefathers of modern gaming. The Playstaion 3’s bad numbers we are sure played a part, but whether or not u like him, he will be missed.

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Nintendo said today that annual profits increased by 77% thanks to record sales of Wii and DS. Net income rose from 98.4 billion last year to 174.3 billion yen. Also from Nintendo’s report they have revealed that in the 5 months since release they have sold through 5,840,000 Wii consoles just short of its 6 million prediction

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The title pretty much sums it up folks. Basically if you’ve got a PS3 in the room, for the love of god turn it on and start downloading Ninja Gaiden Sigma and enjoy the 1080p / 60fps goodness.

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BioWare has formed a new online team to create a Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic massively multiplayer online game, EGM reports. By Grabthar’s hammer this had better not be a joke. You can joke about Nintendo sequels and European release dates all you want, but you do not fuck with us about KOTOR, and especially a KOTOR MMO.

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An update to the folding@home application on the PS3 will be available tomorrow. “Thanks to PS3, we have performed simulations in the first few weeks that would normally take us more than a year to calculate. We are now gearing up for new simulations that will continue our current studies of Alzheimer
’s and other diseases.” Read more details here.

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You may be able to snag the $180, 120GB 360 hard drive early. Pictures inside.

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“The Call of Duty series is notorious for being set in World War II, but Activision announced today that they are FINALLY bringing Call of Duty to the modern age. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will be developed by the team who brought you the original Call of Duty & Call of Duty 2, Infinity Ward.”

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Microsoft sent out an email to the press earlier today announcing an upcoming Halo 3 preview event scheduled for May 11 to take place somewhere in San Francisco. Oooo…mysterious

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