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GADGETS, TECH, AND GAMES
December 04

Xbox Originals Manuals and Controller layouts (and free themes and picture packs)

If you downloaded an Xbox Original title from Xbox LIVE be sure to check out the pages for each game on Xbox.com. Each games page has a link to a PDF of the games manual, as well as a controller map to tell you what is where:

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex (Manual PDF) (Controller Map)
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (Manual PDF) (Controller Map)

Fable (Manual PDF) (Controller Map)

Fuzion Frenzy (Manual PDF) (Controller Map)

Halo  (Manual PDF) (Controller Map)

Indigo Prophecy (Manual PDF) (Controller Map)

Psychonauts (Manual PDF) (Controller Map)

Also, (and I have not seen this mentioned anywhere yet) grab the free theme and picture pack that each new Original has available.
The quickest way to find them is by going to the Marketplace blade>Game Store>Xbox Originals then choose a title. From there you can download the free theme or picture pack, as well as purchase the game.

November 21

Best of Xbox 360 Black Friday deals

 

Filed under: Deals and Bargains

In a few days, on November 23rd, Black Friday 2007 will officially kick off and millions of dollars will be spent. Lines will form outside of retailers hours (some even days) in advance, shopping madness will ensue and some of the best deals will be ripe for the picking. It'll be crazy like it is every year, but if you're brave enough to venture into the Black Friday death trap then we figure the least we can do is point you in the right direction. So, we painstakingly dug through all the day after Thanksgiving ads, found all the Xbox 360 deals and posted them for you after the break. Best Buy, Circuit City, Gamestop, KB, Kmart, Radio Shack, Sears and Target ... they're all there. But you should also know that a lot of retailers (like Wal-mart and Toys R Us) will be doing online mystery deals Thursday that'll go hand in hand with their printed Black Friday offerings
Take a gander through this year's Xbox 360 Black Friday deals and prepare to be unprepared. The black is upon us!
(DB) = Door Buster item that's limited to a few hours in the early AM. These will be hard to find.
Best Buy
- Buy Xbox 360 get GHII bundle for FREE (DB)
- $5 Games: GUN
- $15 Games: Tony Hawk's Project 8 and Def Jam: Icon
- $20 Games: GRAW 2, Spider-man 3, Stuntman: Ignition and Call of Duty 3 (DB)
Circuit City
- Buy Xbox 360 get wireless controller for FREE
- Buy Halo 3 or Assassin's Creed get $10 gift card for FREE
- GHII bundle for $59
- PGR4 for $45 (DB)
- $10 Games: Call of Duty 2 and Call of Juarez
Gamestop
- Xbox 360 Drive FX Racing wheel for $40
- Xbox 360 Power Kit for $10
- $15 Games: Full Auto, Condemned: Criminal Origins and Civil War: A Nation Divided
- $20 Games: F.E.A.R. and Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires
- $40 Games: Transformers: The Game
- $50 Games: Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls
KB Toys
- Buy 1 Get 1 Free: Entire stock of video games (DB)
Kmart
- Xbox 360 wireless controller for $39
- $50 Games: Madden 08, NBA Live 08, Skate and Medal of Honor: Airborne
Radio Shack
- Xbox 360 Play and Charge Kit for $10
Sears
- GHII bundle for $59 (DB)
- Intec Intercoolorer or dual charge pack for $20
- $40 Games: Spider-man: Friend or Foe and Transformers: The Game
- $50 Games: Skate, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground and Medal of Honor: Airborne
Target
- Buy Halo 3 Xbox 360 and Halo 3 get $60 gift card for FREE
- Xbox 360 wireless headset for $48
- $17 Games: Saint's Row
- $38 Games: Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, Spider-man: Friend or Foe, NCAA 08 Football and Gears of War
- $48 Games: Call of Duty 4, Orange Box, PGR4 and Skate

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October 08

October Release Dates for Xbox360

October 9, 2007
FIFA Soccer 08
Electronic Arts
Sports

October 9, 2007
Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal
Warner Bros. Interactive
Action
Adventure

October 9, 2007
Orange Box, The
Electronic Arts
Shooter

October 9, 2007
SEGA Rally Revo
SEGA
Racing

October 9, 2007
Thrillville: Off the Rails
LucasArts
Simulation

October 15, 2007
Beautiful Katamari
Namco Bandai
Action

October 15, 2007
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
Activision
Sports

October 16, 2007
Avatar: The Last Airbender -- The Burning Earth
THQ
Action

October 16, 2007
Elder Scrolls IV: The Shivering Isles, The
Bethesda Softworks
RPG

October 23, 2007
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
Namco
Flight
Action

October 23, 2007
America's Army: True Soldiers
Ubisoft
Shooter

October 23, 2007
Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition
Ubisoft
Board

October 23, 2007
Clive Barker's Jericho
Codemasters
Action

October 23, 2007
Conan
THQ
Action

October 23, 2007
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Eidos Interactive
Adventure

October 28, 2007
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
RedOctane
Music

October 29, 2007
Cars Mater-National
THQ
Racing

October 30, 2007
Bee Movie Game
Activision
Action

October 30, 2007
Naruto: Rise of a Ninja
Ubisoft
Adventure

October 30, 2007
Simpsons Game, The
Electronic Arts
Action

October 30, 2007
TimeShift
Vivendi Games
Shooter

October 30, 2007
Virtua Fighter 5
SEGA
Fighting

October 30, 2007
Viva Pinata: Party Animals
Microsoft
Party

October 01

Halo 3 Armor

EDIT (3): THE ARMOR HAS BEEN FOUND!!one!

The skull is located on then Covenant level at the very end. I would love to be specific but i dont want to spoil anything for the few people who haven’t played through campaign yet. Then you jump through rings in this order:

4 5 6 5 7 6 5 4 1 2 3 2 7 2 1 1 3 4 6 7 5 4 6 5 4 5 3 4

Each ring is a note which plays out the Halo song. After you do that you head back to the energy bridge and there the skull will be waiting for you.

The sucky thing is, last night I did some hard thinking at pretty much figured out the sequence was going to be the halo song, just couldn’t figure out which ring was which note… I also spent 2 hours looking through the map and really didn’t want to play another 30 minutes of the same stage to try out a theory. I come back from work to find out i was pretty much right. UUGGHH! Oh well. I’m not sure who originally found it, but major props man!

Anyways, go out there and get it!

Most people are asking the same questions “How do you unlock the armors in multiplayer?” Luckily, I found a list of how to unlock them from the Gamefaqs message boards. Also a picture to go with it. One problem though, the list doesn’t mention anything about how to unlock the Hayabusa (Samurai) armor. I’ve seen it in the game last week and didn’t pay much attention to it, but now it seems to be a mystery to everyone. So, if anyone out there knows to get the Ninja Gaiden armor, enlighten us. PLEASE!

Body Pieces
Spartan
EVA……………..Complete Tsavo Highway on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary
EOD……………..Complete Tsavo Highway on Legendary
Scout……………Unlock “Too Close to the Sun” Achievement (Destroy an enemy banshee with the Sp’laser or missile pod in a ranked playlist or campaign)

Elite

Flight……………Complete Tsavo Highway on Heroic or Legendary
Ascetic…………Unlock “Up Close and Personal” Achievement (Kill 5 enemies via melee or assassination in a ranked FFA playlist)
Commando….Unlock “Triple Kill” Achievement (Get one triple kill)

Shoulder Pieces
Spartan

EVA……………..Complete The Ark on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary
EOD…………….Complete The Ark on Legendary
Security……….Earn 750 Gamerscore Points
Scout……………Unlock “We’re in for some Chop” Achievement (Destroy an enemy vehicle with a piece of equipment in a ranked playlist or campaign)

Elite

Flight……………Complete The Ark on Heroic or Legendary
Ascetic…………Unlock “Overkill” Achievement (Get one overkill)
Commando….Unlock “Killing Frenzy” Achievement (Get one killing frenzy)

Head Pieces
Spartan
EVA……………..Complete Campaign on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary
EOD……………..Complete Campaign on Legendary
Security………..Earn 1,000 Gamerscore Points
Scout…………….Unlock “Used Car Salesman” Achievement (Destroy an enemy vehicle containing 3 enemies in Campaign or ranked playlists)
Mark V………….Unlock “UNSC Spartan” Achievement (Reach Sergeant ranking online)
ODST……………Unlock “Spartan Graduate” Achievement (Earn 5 EXP or complete 10 ranked matches)
Rogue………….Unlock “Spartan Officer” Achievement (Advance to the Spartan Officer ranks online)

Elite

Flight……………Complete Campaign on Heroic or Legendary
Ascetic………….Unlock “Steppin’ Razor” Achievement (Get one triple kill with an energy sword in ranked FFA)
Commando….Unlock “Overkill” Achievement (Get one overkill)

EDIT: Well its been confirmed. The hayabusa Armor is unlocked from the skulls. I believe its from the amount of skulls you find, not by which one. I currently have 12/13 skulls and the last skull name I Would Have Been Your Daddy is apparently the toughest to find. Bungie even mentions that “IWHBYD is hidden in ways you cannot yet even imagine. It’ll be a while, unless someone at Bungie leaks it. Good hunting, gentlemen.”

A week ago when i was playing a few custom matches and ran into a fellow name Ske7ch. (don’t bother sending requests or messages. I don’t think he replies) He had on the Hayabusa armor and i didn’t think much of it because I didn’t understand how rare it was. Now it seems that he is one of VERY FEW people who have the last skull. you can check out my File Share to see a picture of him.

*I also edited the picture because the Rogue/EOD armor had the wrong chest piece on it. Also renamed it to EOD to match the list of armors.*

EDIT (2): What started out as a mystery has now changed into a worldwide hunt for the illusive IWBYD skull. Rumors say it is on Covenant and an image of the game’s hex shows that Skull_Daddy is on stage convenant. So go out there and look for it!

- Jerome “the360loop” Francisco -

September 22

Games for Fall 2007

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Project Aces
Genre: Flight
Release Date: October 23

What to Expect: The beloved Ace Combat series makes it's next-gen debut exclusively on 360. You'll be able to take the highway to the danger zone and participate in massive battles both online and offline. Expect intense dogfights against an aggressive AI. Fortunately, you can play co-op with a buddy. No one should fly without a wingman. To get the full experience of being a fighter pilot, you can purchase Hori's Ace-Edge Flightstick. The limited edition stick gives greater control over your plane, giving you an edge against n00bs trying to master the skies with standard controllers. Flight games are rare on consoles and great flight games are even rarer. That's why Ace Combat 6 is a no-brainer pick-up for the fall.


Army of Two
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Montreal
Genre: Action
Release Date: November 13

What to Expect: Are two heads really better than one? EA Montreal seems to think so. In Army of Two, two players will unite to shoot enemies, thereby making them quite angry at one or both mercenaries. This "aggro" system can then be used to attract enemies to one player while the other focuses on doing other things, such as sneaking through buildings in order to flank the terrorists. Even better, Army of Two doesn't require another human player to fully enjoy the game. EA has promised excellent A.I. so that one player can team with a computer partner, should a buddy not be present.


Assassin's Creed
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Genre: Action
Release Date: November 13

What to Expect: Like BioShock in August and Halo 3 in September, not much more can really be said about this upcoming November release. Claiming to be the first truly next-generation videogame experience, Assassin's Creed strives for the type of freedom that will allow players to go anywhere, do anything--and kill anyone. Need to scale a building? Look for appropriate hand- and footholds, then start climbing. Want to reach an objective on ground, or by scampering across rooftops? Go right on ahead. Whether performing Leaps of Faith or silently slaughtering pedestrians unfortunate enough to be in Altair's way, Jade Raymond and Ubisoft Montreal are primed to deliver a fun and interactive experience this winter.


BlackSite: Area 51
Publisher: Midway Games
Developer: Midway Studios Austin
Genre: First-person Shooter
Release Date: November 5

What to Expect: Gamers are getting more and more used to the idea of games that have multiple story paths and offer up intriguing squad-based combat. Both ideas are taken to new level in this upcoming shooter based around an alien invasion centered around the US government's infamous Area 51. The player leads a group of super secret soldiers, each of whom possesses unique skills and abilities in an assault on a wide variety of aliens and mutants. The player's choices in the game allow for a lot of moral flexibility as you determine whether to follow your orders or your ethics. But even if you're not a fan of moral relativism, you'll still dig the destructible environments and house-sized bosses here.


Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Gearbox Software
Genre: First-person Shooter
Release Date: November 13

What to Expect: It's been a while since we've seen what Matt Baker, Joe Hartsock, and the rest of the Screaming Eagles are up to in their drive to defeat Hitler's Germany. This third installment of Gearbox's award-winning Brothers in Arms franchise takes the 101st to Market-Garden, the largest airborne operation of the Second World War. The series' attention to detail, both in terms of environments and combat tactics, are as high as ever and that's reason enough for gamers to be excited. When you add in a new cover system and the chance to actually blow up small parts of Holland, things get even better. The most impressive addition to the game are the new "Brotherhood moments" that allow for more drama and personality in the battles.

Call of Duty 4
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Infinity Ward
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release Date: November 5

What to Expect: For those currently partaking in the Xbox 360's exclusive beta, don't read any further, because what I'm about to say won't come as a big surprise. Firing a gun in Call of Duty 4 just feels good, and that's most likely due to Infinity Wards firmly re-taking the reins to reinvigorate its franchise with a classic, fun feel. Shattering glass, screams of pain, exploding grenades, and a return to CoD2's health system, which requires wounded players to hide for a certain amount of time to regain health.... Modern Combat is and frantic, and emphasizes staying in the action at all times.


Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Developer: Neversoft Entertainment
Publisher: RedOctane
Genre: Music
Release Date: October

What to Expect: Metal, metal and more metal. Whereas Guitar Hero II turned up the shred meter, Guitar Hero III looks to break the knob off the amp. Some of the clips that we've seen so far look insanely difficult, which is good news for those who could blast through the last couple titles. Hopefully the difficulty ramp will still be smooth so that newcomers will be able to join in on the fun. The game will also feature online play for the first time in the series, allowing you to take advantage of its fun multiplayer options when no one else is around, like the new Battle Mode.


Halo 3
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Bungie
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release Date: September 25

What to Expect: Remember when Halo 2 ended and it felt unfinished? Well, with Halo 3, Bungie promises you will be able to finish the fight. Along with the campaign (which supports four-player online co-op), there are new multiplayer maps and modes, a map editor called The Forge, and the ability to record and watch replays of every moment you experience in Halo 3. And the Legendary Edition comes with a Spartan helmet for your cat. What more do you need?


Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Publisher: Eidos
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Genre: Adventure
Release Date: October 23

What to Expect: For those who missed out on the rebirth of gaming's most beautiful, big-breasted heroine of all time, Tomb Raider Anniversary will be making its way to Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft's Xbox 360, the latter of which will see the game released in episodic chunks available via Xbox Live Marketplace. Tomb Raider is a celebration of over a decade of Lara's many adventures, and what better story to retell than the very first? Join Lara as she swings across chasms, recovers ancient treasures, and battles prehistoric beasts thought long extinct.


LEGO Stars Wars: The Complete Saga
Developer: Traveller's Tales
Publisher: LucasArts
Genre: Action
Release Date: November

What to Expect: If you're like us and found swapping between two different discs to play all six block-based Star Wars movies a chore, then LucasArts has the perfect solution for you. LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga combines every episode of the popular movie series and adds a number of new characters, features and remixed levels to spice it all up. As an added bonus, PS3 and Xbox 360 owners can hook for online co-op play, while Wii users wield their mote like a lightsaber to cut the Dark Side down to pieces.

Mass Effect
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: BioWare
Genre: RPG
Release Date: November 20

What to Expect: Mass Effect is finally hitting store shelves November 20. Ths is good, because it is, after all, one of the most highly anticipated games of the year across all consoles here at IGN, and with good reason. BioWare has a tradition of excellence on Xbox consoles with Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire. Mass Effect is not looking to break that streak. With gorgeous visuals, a promising sci-fi story and an entire galaxy to explore, this is one RPG that everyone should have on their list of games they need to play.


Naruto: Rise of a Ninja
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Genre: Fighter
Release Date: October 30

What to Expect: Do you believe in real, ultimate power? Do you prefer ninjas over pirates? Then you probably have good understanding of why Naruto: Rise of a Ninja has the potential to be awesome. Mostly because it's about a ninja, but a gameplay fusion resulting in RPG, fighting, and adventure elements can't hurt, right? If you're still not convinced, then consider the following: Naruto can run up walls. That's enviable. Like many modern 360 games, some of Naruto's gameplay relies on entering moves with both analog sticks. Hold the Left Trigger, and then enter dual analog stick movements to execute awesome special attacks! Naruto offers all that and more come late October.


NBA 2K8
Publisher: 2K Sports
Developer: Visual Concepts
Genre: Sports
Release Date: October 1

What to Expect: The NBA is where athletes go to become superstars. More so than football or baseball, the NBA is often defined by its individuals more than its teams. And those personalities now come into play in the revised and revitalized Association mode. NBA 2K8's franchise makes being a coach and GM tougher than even, as you must manage the personalities of all twelve members of your team. Of course, the most important element of any sports game is the gameplay. NBA 2K8 greatly improves the post game and gives the AI a kick in the pants to offer a more realistic NBA game. Best of all, the refs won't be placing any bets on the outcome of these virtual contests.


Need for Speed ProStreet
Developer: Black Box
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: Racing
Release Date: October 30

What to Expect: EA's seminal racing franchise is set to speed to the finish line once again this year, though with a new coat of paint and vinyls for show. The series has once again been given a makeover, this time focusing not on open-world racing but rather on closed circuit, specially-designed courses to test the best drivers in the world. Some of the online features sound great, like the ability to set up your own race weekend and have your friends (or enemies) compete at their own leisure. The Need for Speed series has always been solid, and we don't expect this one to disappoint.


Orange Box
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Valve
Genre: First-person Shooter
Release Date: October 9

What to Expect: Well, the first thing you should expect is five games for the price of one. Half-Life 2: Episode Two gives players a chance to see the further adventures of the crowbar-swinging scientist Gordon Freeman. Real physics and thoughtful AI make it an experience you can't pass up. And even if the game just included the second episode of Half-Life 2, it would be worth the price of admission. But Valve goes one better by throwing in the latest version of Team Fortress 2, the puzzling Portal and a number of add-on levels for Half-Life 2.

Project Gotham Racing 4
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Bizarre Creations
Genre: Racing
Release Date: October 2

What to Expect: Project Gotham has always been relied on to launch consoles and services. The first PGR launched with the original Xbox, PGR 2 helped kick of Xbox Live, and PGR 3 shipped with the release of Xbox 360. PGR 4 is the first in the series without any of the launch pressure. And Bizarre is taking that more relaxed atmosphere to add a few new features. For one, PGR will finally feature actual AI drivers who will attempt to score kudos by drafting off your car and pulling powerslides. The new dynamic weather system will make things interesting, as a rainy race can quickly turn to snow. Microsoft hasn't announced a date yet, but retailers are expecting PGR 4 in early September. So, at least for now, this is a game for the end of summer.


Rock Band
Developer: Harmonix
Publisher: MTV Games
Genre: Music
Release Date: November

What to Expect: There's a reason why we continue to head down to EA's Redwood Shores office as often as we possibly can. Rock Band consumes us in every way, and we never miss an opportunity to strap on a guitar, get behind the mic or sit down at the drums. Harmonix is set to take the formula that it created with Guitar Hero and blow it out of the water with a full band setup. While the on-disc track list is great, the new tracks (including full albums) scheduled for release each and every week will keep you rocking for a long, long time.


The Simpsons Game
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Redwood Shores
Genre: Action
Release Date: October 30

What to Expect: If Simpsons fans were in charge of things, countless developers would be forced to stay after work and write, "I will not make a bad Simpsons game" countless times on a chalkboard. Making the bold attempt of creating the first good Simpsons videogame experience since the revered arcade game, EA has pulled out all the steps for the development of The Simpsons Game. Solid voice acting, a graphical style that closely emulates that of the television classic, and more videogame clichés than a Best Of collection from the 8- or 16-bit eras, The Simpsons Game looks to become an instant classic for fans of the venerable American family.


Virtua Fighter 5
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: AM2
Genre: Fighting
Release Date: October 30

What to Expect: The series that is and always has been the definitive 3D fighter is finally coming to Xbox 360. We recently got our first look at Virtua Fighter 5 in motion on the Microsoft console and can now say that the wait will be worth it. The 360 version is prettier than the PS3 version and still has the fantastic gameplay that made Virtua Fighter 5 an arcade hit. The 360 controller may not be ideal for a fighting game that requires as much precision as a Virtua Fighter game, but the hardcore need not be worried - a HORI arcade stick is on the way to release alongside the game.


WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2008
Developer: Yuke's Media Creatures
Publisher: THQ
Genre: Wrestling
Release Date: November 13

What to Expect: Chair shots and cheap pops. Finally, wrestling has come to the PS3. If you're a fan of this series, you know what to expect. THQ is going to bring you some brand new bells and whistles such as the ECW Extreme Rules Match, a roster full of Superstars from the WWE and the solid gameplay you've come to expect after all these years of rolling around with sweaty men. WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2008 will feature current wrestlers, legends, hardcore matches, cages, an enhanced season mode known as 24/7, Hall of Fame matches and more. If you're a wrestling fan and you own a videogame system, you'd be crazy not to pick this one up.


Other summer games to watch out for:

Conan
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Nihilistic
Genre:
Release Date: October
FEAR Files
Publisher: Sierra
Developer: TimeGate
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release Date: November
Flatout: Ultimate Carnage
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: Bugbear Entertainment
Genre: Racing
Release Date: October 2
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Neversoft
Genre: Action Sports
Release Date: October 15

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Updated 9/10/2007
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Updated 8/31/2007
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Updated 8/31/2007
Updated 5/11/2007
Updated 8/31/2007
Updated 9/6/2007
Updated 8/11/2006
Updated 8/11/2006

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