Space Giraffe and Street Trace NYC to hit XBLA this week @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on August 20, 2007

News: Get psychadelic, then go for a race.

Game god Jeff Minter will finally get a chance to unleash Space Giraffe on the Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday as the game is ready for release and will be available for 400 Microsoft Points. What is Space Giraffe? Well...

Space Giraffe features uniquely beautiful graphics and 100 levels of lovingly hand-crafted shoot-em-up action gameplay from the makers of Llamatron and Tempest 2000. Collect power-ups to activate Bonus Rounds and master the strategies necessary to maximize your score on every level!

Features

Extensive gameplay: Play through 100 levels of shooting and strategy.

Level design: Enjoy the unique graphical appearance of each level due to the use of the Neon engine.

Special features: Learn special moves to increase the Bonus Multiplier, and collect power-ups to gain access to the Bonus Round.

Bonus challenges: Finish all 100 levels to unlock a hidden gameplay mode.

This week will also see the release of Street Trace: NYC, a futuristic racing game that flies on hoverboards. Details for Street Trace can be here...

Street Trace: NYC is fast-paced street racing and arena combat set against a grim futuristic corporate-controlled environment. Choose one of nine hoverboard-riding street soldiers to carve a plasma trail as you battle and grind through six areas, including abandoned highways and war-torn arenas. Play all of the seven different games in tournaments or exhibition matches, and upgrade your hoverboard and weapons as you play. Master the trials of the Single Player Campaign or compete with up to four players split-screen or up to eight online via Xbox Live.

Features

A different kind of racing: Race and battle your opponents on decked-out hoverboards in three different arenas and three different street circuits. Grind your hoverboard along metal rails to gain an advantage. Your board's emissions give passing players a strategic speed boost, allowing those falling behind to rubber-band off the race leaders.

Numerous game modes: Take on the single player campaign with 18 time trials and five champion tournaments, or go multiplayer with four-player split-screen or up to eight players on Xbox Live. Choose from four different arena game types, Flag, Hunter, Chaos, and Takedown, and from three different street game types, Screamer, Chaos, and Street Trace.

Multiplayer join-in-progress: The Street Trace: NYC lobby shows how many people are playing online, allows players to join tournaments in progress, and to follow games as they progress.

Decked-out hoverboards: Upgrade your board's engine, boost, shields and jump capabilities, and use weapons such as lasers, mines, stampede, and rockets. Gotta love rockets.

Game goals: Earn your spot on the Leaderboards, and gain twelve new Achievements to increase your Gamerscore.

Street Trace: NYC will be available for 800 Microsoft Points.