Xbox Live Arcade (Xbox)

This page details pre-release information and/or media for Xbox Live Arcade (Xbox).

E3 2004 Press Conference#

Watch on YouTubeXbox Live Arcade was revealed at E3 2004 with a trailer and a sneak peek at the games that would release onto the service. (Trailer starts at 20:41.)

The logo is different, sporting something that's more accurate to the Xbox Live logo.
All main menu preview videos are different.
The description box font was changed.
The icons for the highlighted menu options look a bit different.
Some titles were changed around:
- "retro arcade" became "retro classics".
- "action arcade" became "action & arcade".
- "card & board games" became simply "card & board".
- "puzzle & trivia" became "puzzle & word".
The font for these titles is also much smaller.
Namco Vintage was titled "Namco Classics".
Ricochet Lost Worlds was named "Ricochet Lost World" here.

Game Descriptions#

The descriptions were changed around entirely for each title, lacking any kind of PEGI/ESRB ratings or special features that these games may have, such as voice communication, custom soundtracks, 480p/720p support, etc.

Alien Sky:

Prerelease

Final

Use your 10 powerful
weapons, from homing missiles
to nukes, to take on the Alien
invasion in this face paced
space shooter.

Pilot your starfighter through
enemy space and exterminate
the insectoid aliens as they swirl
and swarm into formation.
Capture power-ups to boost
your shields, upgrade your
weapons, temporarily slow your
enemies, or warp to the next
level.

Bankshot Billiards:

Prerelease

Final

Become a pool shark in 8-Ball,
9-Ball, and Cutthroat!

Prepare to release your inner
pool shark! Bankshot Billiards
gives you nine different game
styles, from classic 8-Ball and
Cutthroat to Trick Shots
and Golf. Turn on the Cueball
Path option to practice your
shots, then challenge real
opponents on Xbox Live.

Feeding Frenzy:

Prerelease

Final

Survival of the biggest in this
action packed Deep Sea
challenge! Eat your way to the
top of the food chain.

Slurp, gulp, and crunch your
way along the Frenzy Coast.
The rules are simple: eat
anything smaller than you, swim
clear of everything else. The
more you eat, the bigger you
get, so it won't be long 'till you're
the biggest fish in this sea.

Fuzzee Fever:

Prerelease

Final

Fuzzee Fever is a party in a
box! Gather your friends
around to match wits and
blocks in this innovative blend
of puzzle and action.

Blocks will never again be just
puzzle pieces. Fuzzee Fever
takes the classic puzzle theme
and adds characters, chaos
and melee action. Now when
the block doesn't fit, pick it up...
throw it... knock your opponent's
blocks off.

Namco Vintage:

Prerelease	Final
`Experience this blast from the past with arcade favorites Dig Dug, Pole Position, and Galaxian all in one exciting pack!`

Ricochet Lost World:

Prerelease

Final

The original Ricochet Xtreme
breakout action game new and
improved. Coolest power ups
ever seen: lasers, stinger
missiles, EMP blasts, & more!

Bounce the ion sphere off your
rocket's shield and direct it
toward the columns of bricks.
Demolish every brick to
advance to the next level where
you encounter new upgrades
and surprising brick variations.

Zuma:

Prerelease

Final

Shoot balls from the frog's
mouth into groups of the same
color. Don't let things spiral
out of control!

Vibrantly colored balls spiral
toward the gaping jaws of a
cursed gold skull. Fire balls from
the idol's mouth to create a
chain of three or more of the
same color and make the string
disappear. You must clear all
the balls before they're
devoured.

Subpage Descriptions#

...and so were the descriptions for the main menu's subpages.

my games:

Prerelease	Final
`Every game in your Xbox Live Arcade game collection, right here in one convenient place.`	`All the games and demos you've downloaded, stored in one convenient place.`

new releases:

Prerelease	Final
`Check out the latest games and recent additions to Xbox Live Arcade here.`	`The latest offerings from Xbox Live Arcade`

retro classics:

Prerelease	Final
`Coin-op classics and old favorites you grew up with in the video arcades.`	`Familiar arcade favorites--just as they appeared back in the good ol' coin-op days.`

action & arcade:

Prerelease

Final

Light-hearted action and loads
of fun - from remakes of
classic games to old-school
platformers and shoot-em-ups.

Modern games built on classic
arcade themes, then updated
for even more side-scrolling,
shoot-'em-up fun.

card & board:

Prerelease	Final
`From Checkers and Chess, to Poker and Bridge all your favorite card and board games are here.`	`Board battles and classic card games that will give your head a workout.`

puzzle & word:

Prerelease	Final
`Exercise your brain with this collection of puzzle and trivia games.`	`Brain busters that will hook you and have you seeing multicolored tiles in your sleep.`

Unreleased Games#

A total of 13 games were confirmed to have been developed for Xbox to appear on the service, but for one reason or another were cancelled.

Game Title	Category	Developer	Description	Notes
3D MahJong	puzzle & word	N/A	N/A	Seen in press release screenshots.
Atari Classics	retro classics	Mass Media	`Fly your Catastrofighter in Major Havoc, help Bentley Bear escape the Crystal Castle, or drop parachutists on their targets in Skydiver.`	A trio pack containing Major Havoc, Crystal Castles, and Skydiver. Seen in the E3 2004 trailer.
Board Club	card & board	N/A	N/A	A collection of different play boards. A Q&A from IGN¹ mentions Chess, Monopoly and Scrabble, which might've been part of this game. Seen in press release screenshots.
Bridge	card & board	N/A	N/A	Mentioned in a Gameindustry.biz² article.
Card Club	card & board	N/A	N/A	A collection of different card games. A Q&A from IGN mentions Hearts, Spades and Backgammon. It's possible the game might've evolved into Hardwood Solitaire. Seen in press release screenshots.
Crystal Maze	action & arcade	WildTangent	`Help Lily escape from The Land of Nod and return home! Gather crystals while avoiding bad guys. Fun characters and surprises await you!`	A 3D collectathon where you collect crystals to complete a stage. Seen in the E3 2004 trailer and press release screenshots.
Hexic™	puzzle & word	Carbonated Games	`Rotate colored hexes to make clusters and unlock special pieces! Spin tiles in your hunt for the elusive black pear!`	A puzzle game where you have to rotate pieces to clear the board. The game would end up releasing on the Xbox 360 as Hexic HD. Seen in the E3 2004 trailer (with a trademark) and press release screenshots (with a registered symbol).
Lemonade Tycoon 2: New York Edition	strategy & sims	N/A	N/A	Listed on the "Xbox Live Power Up" promotional brochure (Page 15)
Poker	card & board	N/A	`Place your bets, study your hand, and hope that Lady Luck is on your side.`	Seen in press release screenshots.
Polar Bowler	social sports	WildTangent	`Throw yourself into these fun, delightful characters in this comedic and colorful bowling game set in the North Pole!`	A bowling game set on the North Pole. Seen in press release screenshots.
Polar Golf	social sports	WildTangent	N/A	Later renamed to Polar Golfer. A golfing game, also set on the North Pole. Seen in press release screenshots.
Tecmo Classics	retro classics	Mass Media	`Guide Ryu Hayabusa against his enemies in Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden III, or field your team on the gridiron in Temco Bowl.`	A trio pack containing Ninja Gaiden, Ninja Gaiden III, and Tecmo Bowl. Seen in the E3 2004 trailer.
Tradewinds	strategy & sims	Sandlot Games	`Build your empire by battle and trade. Achieve the rank of Tai Pan and become the renowned King Pirate Gossamer!`	A game where you sell goods and battle pirates on the sea. Seen in press release screenshots.
uWink Trivia Pack	puzzle & word	uWink	N/A	A trivia quiz game with questions that would've gotten frequently updated³. Seen in press release screenshots.

Additionally, Galaxian was supposed to be part of Namco Vintage, which was ultimately replaced with Galaga. A bit of gameplay can be seen in the E3 2004 trailer.

Sample applications known as XASample and XASampleMP (shortened for Xbox Arcade and Multiplayer) are seen in some later press screenshots as well.