Legendary board game "Catan" arrives on Xbox LIVE Arcade
 
Brush up on your plans for expansion and hone your trading strategies because "Catan" is coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 this Wednesday, May 2 at 0900 GMT (2:00 a.m. Pacific).
 
"Catan" from Big Huge Games is the Xbox LIVE Arcade edition of the legendary multiplayer board game Settlers of Catan. With over 10 million units sold, Settlers of Catan is one of the most popular board games to hail from Europe, and has been translated into twenty-five languages from the original German.
 
"Catan" for Xbox LIVE Arcade puts players in the role of colonists on a newly discovered island, where they vie for control of valuable territory and resources through strategy and trading. The game can be learned in just minutes, but will challenge players of all skill levels, even the experts!
 
Klaus Teuber, creator of the original Settlers of Catan board game, had this to say about the collaboration with Big Huge Games: "I had no doubts that Brian Reynolds would do a great job, and the first version of the game exceeded my highest expectations. The AI is so clever that I even lost several games in a row! Hands down, this game for the Xbox LIVE Arcade is an amazing achievement."
 
"Catan" will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated E for Everyone.
 
Game Features
 
    * Learn As You Play tutorial, making the game instantly accessible even to players who have never played "Settlers of Catan" before
    * All New 3D "Living World" Board  
    * Play against any combination of 13 historical personalities such as Alexander, Cleopatra and Tokugawa, which provide a range of play styles and difficulty levels that will test players' wits and strategy  
    * Fans of the board game will enjoy the inclusion of popular house rules like Friendly Robber and Friendly Resources  
    * Multiplayer gameplay over Xbox LIVE for up to 4 players  
    * The ability to taunt opponents with engaging animations and use emotes to compliment (or belittle!) the opposition over Xbox LIVE  
    * Voice Chat enabled  
    * Earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points
 
Arthropods Attack! "Centipede" and "Millipede" Invade Xbox LIVE Arcade
 
Two of Atari's best loved coin-op classics, "Centipede" and "Millipede," will be available for download on Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 beginning Wednesday, May 2 at 0900 GMT (2:00 a.m. Pacific).
 
The classic version of "Centipede" challenges gamers to defend their villages against an onslaught of centipedes, spiders, army ants and more. Xbox LIVE Arcade gamers will also have access to an "Evolved" version which features pre-rendered, high definition graphics, special effects like motion blur, trails and particle-based explosions that make this classic as enjoyable today as it was in the arcade decades ago.
 
In "Millipede," the primary challenge is to obliterate chains of arthropods that creep down from the top of the screen.  Scattered mushrooms are the gamers' main tool to shoot, destroy and redirect the menacing millipedes.  "Millipede" also offers up Xbox LIVE Arcade gamers an "Evolved" version of this coin-op classic.
 
"Centipede" and "Millipede" will be available worldwide as a joint download for 400 Microsoft Points and are rated E for Everyone.
 
Game Features
 
    * Two games in one! Enjoy both classic and evolved versions of both "Centipede" and "Millipede"
    * Dolby Digital surround sound
    * Earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points

The ever popular PC/PSP/DS title Puzzle Quest will be making it’s way to an Xbox 360 near you.
 
In a press release today, D3Publisher of America announced they’re be bringing three new games to the Xbox Live Arcade: Mad Tracks, RocketBowl, and Puzzle Quest.
 
From the press release:
 
    "Mad Tracks, RocketBowl and Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords are only the first of many games that D3PA plans to make available on Xbox LIVE Arcade, reinforcing the company’s commitment to fostering strong relationships with developers of all sizes and helping them deliver their creations into the hands of the public. All three games also support the publisher’s primary aim to bring top-quality game experiences to the widest range of audiences possible; each will be quick to download, easy to pick up, but challenging to master — thereby providing hours of gameplay."
 
Looks like there’s some new games to look forward to.
 

Remember the ESRB listings for Tron and Discs of Tron we posted up last month? Disney Interactive confirmed that the rumors are true and they will be releasing both arcade games on the Xbox 360 in honor of the 25th anniversary of Tron. Like the Atari’s recent Centipede release, Disney’s arcade classics let players choose between the original 1980’s arcade game or an enhanced version with new graphics and sound. Tron and Discs of Tron also add in online play. So when can we expect to see the two Tron titles? Sometime this summer. Until then check out screenshots of Tron and Discs of Tron past the break.
 
In Tron, which first appeared in arcades in 1982, players must complete four increasingly challenging game types to advance through levels. Players battle tank forces, engage in treacherous light cycle combat, attack the MCP cone and fight off grid bugs to enter the I/O tower.
 
Discs of Tron, a follow-up 1983 arcade game, enables players to fight Sark, the defender of Master Control Program, in one-on-one battles taking place in three-dimensional futuristic arenas.  Players must move between platforms while throwing energy-charged discs at Sark and deflecting oncoming discs to avoid being "derezzed."