Gauntlet and Stubbs for Live Originals

By Robert Purchese Published 15 May, 2008

On Monday. But neither is very good.

Microsoft has tooted its horn to announce the arrival of Stubbs the Zombie and Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows on Xbox Originals.

Both will be available on Live from Monday for 1200 Points (GBP 10.20 / EUR 14.40). But neither is very good.

Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse casts you as a detective zombie in a 1950s America. However, despite being made by Wideload, the studio formed by ex-Bungie man Alex Seropian, it turned out to be rather forgettable.

Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows, on the other hand, was a modern interpretation of the cult coin-op classic from yesteryear. But rather a lot was lost in translation, as linear and repetitive design and a broken online component made it more frustrating than fun.

Head over to our Stubbs the Zombie and Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows reviews to find out more.

If you really must play an Xbox Original, then try Psychonauts or Fahrenheit or Black or Fable.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (17) Latest comment 4 years ago

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

  • Peew971 #1 4 years ago

    This whole Xbox Originals idea is really a wasted opportunity, they only release 2 games a month and most of them aren't that good. I would have prefered that space to be dedicated to current 360 games available to download from (or even before) day one, like it's done on PC.

  • Xerx3s #2 4 years ago

    I don't understand why they don't do 10 something titles a month. It's not like they have to do anything for it, they already have hundreds of BC titles available.

  • RexRunti #3 4 years ago

    If you really must play an Xbox Original, then try Psychonauts or Fahrenheit or Black or Fable.

    Or Ninja Gaiden.

    Edit: Can't spell Gaiden.
    Edited by 1 at 15/05/08 @ 09:29

  • Kami #4 4 years ago

    This is the problem with all downloadable games - 360, PS3 or Wii. They just can't seem to deliver consistant quality so you get high points and then a ton of crap follows.

    Problem is that people clearly buy this thinking it's going to be good because they've chosen it specially...
    Edited by 1 at 15/05/08 @ 09:40

  • Rirekon #5 4 years ago

    Stubbs is pure awesome, may actually get that

  • brockenheimer #6 4 years ago

    If you really must play an Xbox Original, then try Psychonauts or Fahrenheit or Black or Fable.

    Not Ninja Gaiden Black or Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory or Crimson Skies, which are the three I can't choose between?? D'oh. I'll never decide now.

  • samaran #7 4 years ago

    if they did 10 titles a month then no-one would buy any of them. labour don't put up 10 candidates for prime minister in a general election, do they? i'm sure microsoft wouldn't want to split the vote, you'd end up with people not wanting to buy halo 2 because they aren't sure if their points would be better spent on, like, sudeki.

    of course, if they took a leaf out of sony's book and actually made it possible to buy stuff with real money instead of virtual intercredits they might have a bit more success with the whole 'impulse buy' thing. which, really, is what something like stubbs the zombie needs to be. i kindof want to buy it for the soundtrack if nothing else, but damn if that wouldn't be a bit of a hassle with rock band coming up.

  • brooza #8 4 years ago

    I liked Stubbs the Zombie...

  • penhalion #9 4 years ago

    "labour don't put up 10 candidates for prime minister in a general election, do they?

    No...no they don't...but.....it's not a bad idea...yea

    David Cameroon
    David Camron
    David Mc Cameron
    David (welsh accent version) Camarn

    could work...hmmmmm...people generally decide what a word says by the start and end letters only....yea.... O_O

  • Blockhead #10 4 years ago

    Am I the only one who thought Stubbs was broken, flawed, and overrated? I mean, it got good reviews, but I couldn't see why. It wasn't that fun to play, right? Thumbs up for the co-op option, though.
    Edited by 1 at 15/05/08 @ 10:34

  • Lutz #11 4 years ago

    They really should have put achievements in on these, and the prices are too high. Why buy a flawed version online, when you can buy the original for a fiver, tops?

  • GordonCaladan #12 4 years ago

    I really don't understand this selection.

  • Tiger_Walts #13 4 years ago

    Stubbs was pure popcorn entertainment with a solid game behind it. I was chortling all the way through. A pity that it's 50Hz only.

  • Retroid #14 4 years ago

    Rather a disappointment after the excellent / good (in that order) Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Metal Arms....

  • PlugMonkey #15 4 years ago

    If you really must play an Xbox Original, then try Psychonauts or Fahrenheit or Black or Fable.

    But if you do insist on playing Fahrenheit, please be sure to stop playing it when you suspect you're about halfway through - beyond that you start to see through the (albeit excellent) smoke and mirrors and realise it's actually complete pants. And then it descends still further into necrophillic porn and the worst 'plot twist' ever conceived by man.

    Why buy a flawed version online, when you can buy the original for a fiver, tops?

    Amen to that, brother.

  • Bulbatron #16 4 years ago

    I want to see them release Silent Hill 2 - after they've fixed it in the UK that is.

  • RazorObsession #17 4 years ago

    With GTA 4 being released, I'm pretty sure San Andreas and Vice city would sell like hotcakes, on the strength of the nostalgia that GTA 4 would bring. thinking about it, the top down GTA games would do well on Arcade too. Heres hoping someone at MS with a spark of marketing imagination realizes that quickly eh? OCD gamers with MS points to burn between now and the DLC just wouldn't be able to help themselves.