Hexic 2 and Ecco tomorrow

By Robert Purchese Published 14 August, 2007

Live Arcade Wednesday ahoy.

Microsoft has revealed that Hexic 2 and Ecco the Dolphin will be available to download from Live Arcade tomorrow.

Hexic 2 is the sequel to the puzzle game bundled with Xbox 360 Premium consoles, in an effort to introduce people to the joys of Live Arcade. It's being developed by Carbonated Games, and offers a wider playing board, new special pieces, fresh challenges, and a head-to-head battle mode.

It will cost you 800 points to download (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.60), and you can get a taste of what to expect by casting an eye over our Hexic HD review.

Ecco the Dolphin was originally made famous on the Mega Drive, and lets you side-scroll your way through various underwater environments as a bottlenose dolphin. You'll have to keep an eye on your air supply, ram into enemies to dispatch them, and sing your biological sonar songs (echolocation) to all around.

As with Sonic and Golden Axe, the 360 version allows you to toggle updated graphics and sound on and off, as well as leaderboards to compare your swimming scores with friends. Ecco will cost you 400 points to download (GBP 3.40 / EUR 4.80).

Both games will come with the normal spattering of 12 achievements, totalling 200 Gamerpoints if you can get them all.

Look out for our thoughts on both of these soon.

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 (24) Latest comment 5 years ago

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

  • lennon #1 5 years ago

    Hexic 2 for me. I almost started playing Hexic again last night whilst waiting for Bioshock but decided against it.

    Only downside is the misses loves Hexic and she has forgotten about it recently so me playing a new one means sharing a console when Bioshock is coming out. :)

  • Lutz #2 5 years ago

    "As with Sonic and Golden Axe, the 360 version allows you to toggle updated graphics and sound on and off"

    Pardon? Am I missing something?

    I need to check Sonic tonight...

  • Gruff #3 5 years ago

    Stop messing about and release space giraffe already.

  • BBIAJ #4 5 years ago

    @ Lutz:

    Nope, you can smooth the graphics a tad in Sonic, and Golden Axe has enhanced sounds.

  • Ceatlan #5 5 years ago

    Lutz,

    Yep, you are missing something. However like most live games you can only access these settings from the option menu you get by pausing the running game, and not from the options menu you get to from the main game start menu.

    The options usually allow you to turn on and off the enhanced graphics, and resize the area on screen used to display the graphics.
    Edited by 1 at 14/08/07 @ 11:17

  • jonsaan #6 5 years ago

    Filler.

  • ccfb #7 5 years ago

    MMUK : "What's wrong with releasing stuff when its ready and doing away with this stupid "Live Wednesday" concept?"

    Because then MS run out of games to release and everyone beefs about how they're not supporting the service.

  • smoothpete #8 5 years ago

    I never played Ecco, what do you reckon, worth a punt for 4 quid?

  • Lutz #9 5 years ago

    BBIAJ, Ceatlan: Well I never. Thanks for the heads up guys. I'll have a tinker with Sonic tonight. F'nar f'nar.

  • haowan #10 5 years ago

    Hardly filler. Hexic 2 will be very popular I think. All you people waiting for Space Giraffe and SWOS need to open up your minds and accept that there are people using XBLA who don't fit your demographic.

  • Avaloner #11 5 years ago

    Isn't it about time for Eurogamer to embrace the direction gaming is taking and stop using old tools to service new needs? How about we get a downloadable games section for VC, LIVE and PSN showing release dates and a small review of each game. It does not feel right to review such games in the same way as boxed ones (with the ensuing 'better than Halo 2 then' replies that brings about) and using the news section to announce release dates it getting stale.

  • Cloudane #12 5 years ago

    Hexic still remains my favourite Xbox Live Arcade game and for what? Free!

  • redneon Verified Programmer, SUMO Digital #13 5 years ago

    SWOS isn't out next Wednesday. It got pushed into September.

  • ccfb #14 5 years ago

    Hexic 2 release undermined by Ecco release pairing, eh?

    Stupid MS. Stupid.

    Release SWOS and Giraffe soon so everyone can complain that "Game X" isn't out yet.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #15 5 years ago

    I thought SWOS was out on 29th? Which would make it Wed after next, so SG could still be released next Wed...

    Anyway, I'm happy with Hexic 2; the first one's one of my Arcade favourites.

  • redneon Verified Programmer, SUMO Digital #16 5 years ago

    @Britesparc: Nope, it got push back into September. It was announced last week so it should be on Eurogamer in a few days ;)

    Also, I've had a blast of Space Giraffe on PartnerNet and I didn't enjoy it at all. There was WAY too much going off for just a series of Tempest variations. I got very bored, very quickly. Jeff Minter should have just ported Tempest 2000 as that was bloody amazing.

  • JohnnyWashnGo #17 5 years ago

    Crack Cocaine is the sequel to the Alcohol and Tobacco bundled with Secondary School, in an effort to introduce people to the joys of Recreational Drug Use.

  • Wobble #18 5 years ago

    I wonder if hexic 2 will be as utterly unplayable if you're colour blind as hexic 1 was..

    way to ignore 15% of the male gaming population :p

  • redneon Verified Programmer, SUMO Digital #19 5 years ago

    @Wobble: I think it's 15% of the population that are colour-blind, not 15% of the gaming population. So what's the percentage of the population who play games? I'm sure we can work it out =o)

  • absolutezero #20 5 years ago

    Space

    Giraffe


    Where?!?!?

  • Gruff #21 5 years ago

    Red neon: I got very bored, very quickly.

    That's a bit worrying Redneon, all i was hoping for was a prettier tempest TBH

  • redneon Verified Programmer, SUMO Digital #22 5 years ago

    @ManicMinerUK: I will give it another go when it gets released. I'm sure I just judged it a little harshly as I wanted it to be Tempest 2000. I'll no doubt buy it, I seem to buy most things on XBLA =o)

  • InternetRed #23 5 years ago

    Wobble: You can activate symbols in the options, that give each colour a symbol as well. The colourblind were not ignored ;P

    I've still got to get 80% of the achievements for Hexic... it's fun but makes me drift off after a while.

  • afghan_jones #24 5 years ago

    Ive got all bar Hexic addict and grand Pearl Poo Bah.

    So close...