Microsoft has just sent word on this week's Xbox Live Arcade release, Band of Bugs by Cloning Clyde developer NinjaBee. Band of Bugs is one of XBLA's first strategy games and comes complete with a full-on level editor which you can use to share custom maps over Xbox ...
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Siliconera reports: "Treasure had an extra few months to work on Bangai-O Spirits for North America. During that time they crafted eight new levels: YAMATO, The Earth, Move the Box, Which is Moved?, Bullet's Reach, The Face, Sabu, and Sessyu. These levels can be found in the Treasure's Best (first two), Puzzle Stages (next three), and Other Stages (final three). All of the stages in Bangai-O Spirits are split into four groups in North America opposed to just ROM stages and Custom levels like in the Japanese build. Just to be clear, the fourth group in the North American build is Custom."
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1UP: "D3Publisher's Anime Expo offerings feel a little too niche.

Yeah, we all know D3Publisher has a reputation for niche titles. But after checking out Bangai-O Spirits at the company's Anime Expo booth, I feel safe in this declaration: I've ever seen a game this niche. For the casual shooter fan, let me fire a warning salvo. This may be the most difficult, frustrating game you'll ever play. And that's not hyperbole.

D3 also showcased two Naruto titles, the Wii fighter Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 and Path of the Ninja 2, a DS role-playing game."
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VG247: D3Publisher of Europe just confirmed that Bangai-O Spirits will be released in Europe this August. The DS Treasure shooter will be priced at £24.99.
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D3Publisher of America has picked up the distribution rights to both Puzzle Quest: Galactrix and Bangai-O Spirits.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is the successor to the popular Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords and will feature a sci-fi setting and a new hexagonal puzzle board.

Bangai-O Spirits is a remake of the classic Treasure shooter, Bangai-O, with new multiplayer features and the "Sound Load" technology for transferring user created levels.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix will release for DS, PC and Xbox Live Arcade in Fall 2008. Bangai-O Spirits will release on DS in Spring 2008.
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The DS may be capable of connecting to Wi-Fi for cooperative play and data transfers over long distance, but the folks at Treasure have decided to take a markedly different approach to get players connected for Bangai-o, the upcoming DS remake of the classic N64 and Dreamcast shooter.

ESP, the game's Japanese publisher, revealed today the game's Sound Load functionality which will let players exchange user created levels. The game converts your level data to audio form. When played back, this audio can be picked up by another DS and converted back into level data!
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Pocket Gamer writes:

"Treasure has announced a Japanese release date for Bangai-O Spirits, DS Fanboy has spotted, and it's March 19th.

Why the excitement? Because it's a remake of one of the most distinct and finest shoot-'em-ups ever created by a true master of the genre. Treasure originally developed the game for the Nintendo 64 and followed it with a version for Sega's Dreamcast."
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MundoRare writes: "Recent times and cancellations have shown that all is not well in Rare-land. As if the cancellations of both Perfect Dark 2 and Kameo 2 in favor of Project Natal have shaken the faith of even the most loyal Rare fans, David Wise's departure from Rare could very well be the killing blow. [...]

From his Facebook: "I think the business of Rare has changed a great deal, and at the moment there is just not the opportunity to create the soundtracks that Rare were fortunately very famous for."

Unfortunately, though, this is only the most recent loss of a distinguished employee within the British developer in the recent months.

Back in August, Steve Burke, another prominent Rare musician from Kameo fame, also left the company to take a year's sabbatical "to go travelling," according to some Rare sources; no word if the real reason could be or not related with his well known desires to work for the film industry. Burke and Wise's departures only follow the trade open by Grant Kirkhope a year ago.

Out of the musical department, there has recently been huge losses, with Microsoft's recent restructuring process affecting several engineers and artists, including Steve Malpass, designer for Banjo-Tooie, Perfect Dark, Ghoulies and Nuts & Bolts. Moreover, some programmers have also left, like veteran Mark Edmonds, one of the remaining members of the original GoldenEye 007 team, who abandoned Rare in late 2008 after 14 years of work at Twycross."
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Select Target Corp. stores this month began holding a new game clearance for Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360.
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360-Deals writes:

"This July 4th, retail Amazon.com kicked off a special promotion on the Xbox 360 Arcade console.

Get a copy of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts free ($29.99 value) when you order an Xbox 360 arcade at Aamzon!

Promotion ends on July 11, 2009 at 11:59PST

Here are the full details..."
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