Every Extend XBLA this week

By Tom Bramwell Published 16 October, 2007

Along with Speedball 2.

Every Extend Extra Extreme (E4) and Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe are this week's Xbox Live Arcade releases, and should be waiting for you to fling 800 Microsoft points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.30) at both of them this time tomorrow morning.

As well as being the spiritual home of Dawson's Creek, E4 is the sequel to the PSP Every Extend Extra, which we thought was smashing (we'll give you a couple of seconds to let that one sink in). Like its predecessor (we did like its predecessor!), it sees players trying to cause chain reactions by detonating themselves in the midst of wacky space ships.

Having originated with a lone Japanese programmer as, simply, "Every Extend", the PSP version was adapted by Q Entertainment to centre around music - with chain reactions popping off various musical effects, which gradually intensify and accelerate as you collect power-ups and string together bigger explosions.

The 360 version massively increases the game's visual effects quota (we were playing it last night, and it's like having a firework display in a kaleidoscope), and features a total of five gameplay modes - including a new, actual shoot-'em-up mode and multiplayer.

Meanwhile, as everyone knows, Speedball 2 is a remake of a classic futuristic sports game from when Kristan was only about 38, and followers will also be watching out for downloadable content packs after it's released.

Look out for reviews of both in the days ahead. Or don't. See if we care. Sniff.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (26) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • andromeda #1 4 years ago

    $ony is teh dOOmed!!

  • BadBoyBonner #2 4 years ago

    Sensible Soccer where are you?

  • krudster #3 4 years ago

    Tom was 7 when Speedball 2 came out. That's sick.

  • Darkedge #4 4 years ago

    Speedball 2: Brutal Delux FTW!!!!

  • FlamingCarrot #5 4 years ago

    I feel older everyday. Still have the blisters on my thumb from playing Brutal Deluxe with my trusty joystick back on the Amiga.

  • Darkedge #6 4 years ago

    shame you have no screenshots of the new 3d enhanced mode (but considering it looks a wee bit pants, who cares)

  • onyxbox #7 4 years ago

    i had this game for my PSP and found it very boring... don't know what all the fuss is about.

  • Darren #8 4 years ago

    andromeda - "$ony is teh dOOmed!!"

    Hardly. The PS3 has Wipeout HD on the way and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Personally I'd rather play those for my £7-£10 than some crusty old game from 1991. ;)

  • DanWhitehead #9 4 years ago

    Tom was 7 when Speedball 2 came out. That's sick.

    That means he was still in nappies when Horace Goes Skiing came out. THIS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED.

  • DDevil #10 4 years ago

    I was 12 when it was first released. Hmmmm, I feel old.

  • Darkedge #11 4 years ago

    @Darren
    "The PS3 has Wipeout HD on the way and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Personally I'd rather play those for my £7-£10 than some crusty old game from 1991"

    Obviously you've never played SpeedBall 2 and enjoyed the GENIUS that it is. I feel sorry for you as your life is a little more empty (about as empty and soulless as Wipeout HD. Wipeout was a great game but the HD version has sucked it's soul out). Not to mention beautiful GT5 Demo, sorry prologue which will look great and have all the handling and AI of a brick.
    Edited by 1 at 16/10/07 @ 10:19

  • Darren #12 4 years ago

    Actually, Darkedge, I *have* played Speedball 2 (and its prequel in fact)... some 16 years ago on the Amiga. Yes, it was a great game back then and I played it extensively then but times have changed, the game is no longer as impressive as I discovered when I tried it through the WinUAE emulator a year or so back. So, no, I would not pay nearly £7 for such a crusty old ex-classic. :p

  • Darren #13 4 years ago

    (sigh)

    I'm saying I considered it a classic back in "the day" and until recently but having played it again I'd wouldn't say it was now. Some games stand the test of time well, e.g. the Mario and Zelda games, but I don't think Speedball 2 has. Just my opinion though.

    Do people view these games through rose-tinted spectacles? I can't understand why people are gagging to play Sensible Soccer on XBLA either (and, yes, I played that years ago too). I mean have they played it recently, it's more like ping-pong than football and why would you want to play that rather than PES (or FIFA)? :?

  • ecureuil #14 4 years ago

    Oh god, I really hope EE is good, it's one of my favourite PC/PSP games.

  • Beano #15 4 years ago

    "i had this game for my PSP and found it very boring... don't know what all the fuss is about. "

    HUH??

    Is Speedball 2 available for PSP?

  • rayk2099 #16 4 years ago

    1. If EEE was any indication, EEEE will be awesome.

    2. "ICE CREAM! ICE CREAM!"

  • BettySwallocks #17 4 years ago

    I was 12 when it was first released. Hmmmm, I feel old.

    I was 18!!

    /runs to mirror to check impending baldspot
    Edited by 1 at 16/10/07 @ 11:19

  • OnlyMe #18 4 years ago

    I still play Speedball 2 and SWOS regularly. They're both still fantastic games, but it's always better in two-player mode. SWOS is still one of my favourite football games ever!

    Why wouldn't I play PES or FIFA instead? I do! But they're completely different games now. SWOS is much more about direct control, not relying on the animation of the player to accomplish something. Also, the after touch system is just incredibly fun, and something I sorely miss. Wouldn't work in PES or FIFA, but there needs to be another game like SWOS.

    And yes, Kick Off 2 is excellent as well, albeit a bit harder to get to grips with.

  • grandmaster Verified Director, Digital Foundry #19 4 years ago

    I have to admit that I couldn't bear Speedball 2 on XBLA. Just feels incredibly outdated - the revised version doesn't feel that much better to me than the abortive PlayStation effort.

    The concept behind the game is sound, but the implementation just doesn't hold up.

    It's been available for months on the 360's Partnernet (a dev version of Live any one with a debug station has access to).

  • RustyBullet #20 4 years ago

    ohhhhhhh spanky spanky
    it must be nice being you
    i want to be you ohhh go on let me pretty please
    Edited by 1 at 16/10/07 @ 13:25

  • Pachinko #21 4 years ago

    Yeah yeah. Now give us Mutant Storm Empire, for God's sake!

  • DjFlex52 #22 4 years ago

    E4-yes!
    "Knew there was a reason I didnt buy Puzzle quest last night"

    Don't buy Puzzle Quest!
    It took over my life like Peggle did on PC.
    Luckily both of them didn't take it over for too long.
    I can actually go back to playing PGR4 and TOB again.

  • Monkey_Puncher #23 4 years ago

    Puzzle Quest has stolen my soul, i only have to play it for an hour and I find myself walking around for the rest of the day with that blasted music in my head :(

  • AlvySinger #24 4 years ago

    To continue the aging gamer theme, I was 12 when Speedball 2 came out.

    More worringly, despite the fact I've not played in - er - 16 (nearly 17) years I can still remember all the bonuses, power-ups and scoring tricks.

    Look out XBLA, here I come!

    Ironically, I remember almost nothing from my school days during this period - I was just waiting for the bell to ring so I could get home and play this and Sensible Soccer 1.1 (where adding aftertouch from dead centre of the pitch would score a goal everytime).

    Before playing though, I'd always have a glass of milk from the pint delivered fresh outside the door every morning.

    /eyes grow misty

  • Avenger1324 #25 4 years ago

    I still have the disk for the original Speedball 2 - am I really that old already?

  • bloodflowers #26 4 years ago

    This is a huge surprise - they didn't fuck up Speedball II!