Bionic Commando Rearmed is a platforming game where you must use your bionic arm to grapple and swing about the levels, avoiding enemies or using gun upgrades (or barrels) to take them out. The game also features hacking mini games and numerous challenge maps to add some extra variety and replayability.

For those of you who are unsure about whether or not to purchase this game, see what else is on offer. It’s hard to find a lengthy and replayable good quality game for 400 measly points. Okay, so there are a few good 400 MS Point games, but this title is extremely worthy of a purchase. The music is great, the graphics are great, and the price is great. What have you got to lose?

You can always check out the demo, and I strongly advise you do. This is a game I highly recommend.

“In celebration of the arrival of April, the wackiness of April Fool’s Day, and the upcoming 3rd anniversary of the release of Horse Armor (Friday, April 3), we are pleased to announce that for the next week all Oblivion DLC for Xbox 360 is half price, except for Horse Armor, which is twice as much as usual. So if you’ve been waiting for just the right moment to get The Vile Lair, or Knights of the Nine, or Shivering Isles, now is the time.”

Thinking this was some soft of “April Fools” joke, I checked the marketplace to find that… it was real! All downloads are still half price, apart from the horse armour, which is double.

If you are at work, check this link to view the marketplace offer and purchase DLC to prepare the downloads to your Xbox 360 when you get home.

As I own the collectors edition of the game, I already have the Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine. I managed to buy The Vile Lair, The Thieves Den, The Wizard’s Tower and The Orrery for a mere 300MS points! I’m also thinking of buying the Mehrune’s Razor DLC too.

So, for those who don’t already own all of the Oblivion DLC, this is the best time to get it! It’s also another great excuse to load the game up again and get back into it!

Sounds pretty sweet doesn’t it? For those who missed out on Fable the first time round, you may be thinking this is a great opportunity at the lowered price of 800MS points.

You are wrong.

For some reason, Microsoft (or Lionhead) decided the best idea would be to make the inferior version available for download. That’s right, this is in fact the original version of Fable, and not the updated/improved “Lost Chapters” version.

So what are you getting for your money (around £7)?

Don’t get me wrong, the first Fable game is the reason I purchased my original Xbox in the first place. The game looked just too awesome to miss out on, and it was. It was not long after though that Fable: The Lost Chapters was released.

Most people thought that “The Lost Chapters” didn’t really offer much new content to warrant purchasing it if they already owned the original, but for me the newer version felt so much more complete. The story seemed to make a bit more sense as characters appeared in cut scenes a bit more, areas felt populated/alive thanks to having an extended development time, there were some new quests, items, and areas to explore, and overall the package just felt more “finished”.

So why on earth didn’t Microsoft (or Lionhead) release this version on the “Xbox Originals” download list?

I have no idea.

So before you attempt to download this having being tempted by the offer, think about these points:

• You are getting the inferior version of the game
• You can get a copy of “Fable: The Lost Chapters” for cheaper than the current offer price
• The download version offers nothing new (no achievements, updates, or online features)
• Downloading this will take up precious space on the Xbox 360’s tiny Hard Drive

I appreciate Microsoft’s offer, I really do. But I think this time I will give it a miss. So far the weekly deals have been a bit of a let down for me. Fingers crossed for something better next week.

UNO
This is a simple card game that is very addictive. Whilst a card game may sound pretty boring, I advise you try out the demo. For only 400 points, UNO will provide hours of fun. The game features online 4 player, and some easy achievements for those of you who like to boost your gamerscore.
Marketplace Link: UNO

TMNT 1989 Arcade
Even if you did not play this game when it was originally released, this side-scrolling style beat-em-up is extremely playable without any added nostalgic factor. This game is very much like the Simpsons arcade game that so many people are begging to be released on Xbox Live. TMNT features both offline and online 4 player co-op, some easy achievements, and plenty of replay value.
Marketplace Link: TMNT Arcade

Streets of Rage 2
This is another classic side-scrolling beat-em-up. I just need to mention though that there is a Mega Drive / SEGA Genesis game compilation coming soon that will include this game (along with other current arcade games such as sonic 1, 2 and golden axe). So I would probably hang on and purchase that instead. I just felt that I had to mention something about this awesome game.
Marketplace Link: Streets of Rage 2

Small Arms
This game is very much like Smash Bros on the Nintendo Wii (although obviously a much more simplified game). For those who don’t know about it, Small Arms is a fighting game where up to four players (online or offline) must try to knock the others off from the arena/level. With numerous weapons, arenas, and characters this is well worth the 400 points.
Marketplace Link: Small Arms

Geometry Wars
Geometry Wars is a game which starts off looking fairly basic, but soon turns into a visual treat. The gameplay also starts off fairly simplistic, but soon becomes very challenging and addictive. Almost everyone owns this game already as it is hugely popular, but if you haven’t heard of it or seen it before, I highly recommend you download the demo today.
Marketplace Link: Geometry Wars

Assault Heroes
This is a game where you play mostly in a vehicle (although if it gets blown up you get to run around as a human and hope not to get shot before the next one respawns). This is classic arcade action which can be enjoyed solo or with a friend via offline or online co-op.
Marketplace Link: Assault Heroes

DOOM
A First-Person-Shooter classic! Need I really say anything about this game? Obviously as it’s an old game the graphics are a bit rubbish compared to today’s standards, but for the nostalgic gamers this is a great corridor shooter where you can blast various demons to bits (and play online.. although I’m not sure if anyone does anymore). This might be a biased recommendation, but who knows, it might appeal to the masses? Try it and see if you like it.
Marketplace Link: DOOM

The free DLC is a Bruce Springsteen track pack, which includes the songs “Born to Run” and “My Lucky Day”, a brand-new track off his latest album “Working on a Dream”. After the offer expiry date, the pack will be available for 320MS points.

As you may already know, you can purchase additional Microsoft points through your Xbox by signing into Xbox Live. Using this method, 2000 points costs £17. Whilst this can be convenient, you can actually gain an additional 100 points by purchasing a card online or in a local store for a similar price.

2100 Points Cards
Amazon.co.uk – £17.99
GAME – £17.50
Gamestation – £17.50
Play.com – £16.99
Tesco – £16.71

As you can see, Tesco currently offer the cheapest 2100 Microsoft points card.

Buying Points Cards From Other Sources
If you look around the Internet for offers yourself, you will more than likely stumble across other online merchants who sell various points cards. Sometimes these offers are significantly lower than those mentioned above. So what’s different? How can these people supply the cards cheaper?

Most sellers (through eBay for example) tend to e-mail the codes rather than post a card to you. This helps lower their costs which in turn allows them to pass on a price cut to you. Sounds great, but there can be risks.

For example; a friend of mine tried one of these eBay sellers and paid promptly using PayPal, hoping to receive the e-mail within minutes as promised. An hour passed and there was still no e-mail in his inbox. He was beginning to worry that he had been scammed.

Luckily for him he hadn’t been ripped off (sort of), but instead the seller had gone on holiday and was unable to send it during that period. For the inconvenience of having to wait longer than expected, he would have much rather paid the extra pound to have received it a week earlier from another retailer.

In summary; when purchasing Xbox 360 Microsoft Points cheaply, be sure to buy from a well known source unless you are willing to take risks. At the moment, Tesco offer the most points for the lowest price (that I found). If you have found cheaper, please feel free to post your findings as a comment to this post.

I hope this helps some of you in looking for cheap points

Eternal Sonata
£9.99 and play.com
This is probably the most gorgeous game I have ever seen on the Xbox 360. I haven’t had much time to play through it yet, but from what I have seen and played so far, this is definitely something special. The game features beautiful music, visuals, and a really interesting storyline. I really cannot wait until I get enough time to return to this game!

The Incredible Hulk
£9.99 and game.co.uk
This game of the movie is quite fun. You basically play as the big green giant in an open world city causing destruction. You can smash cars, tanks, and even buildings! You play through the game by completing mission objectives dotted around the large cityscape, but you can also just wreak havoc just to let off some steam for a few minutes (or hours).

Beautiful Katamari
£9.99 and play.com
This is… weird, yet strangely addictive. Beautiful Katamari is a Japanese game which features a small prince who rolls around a giant ball collecting objects. Sounds rubbish? Just wait until you have tried a few levels of this game! I advise you check out some reviews on this title first (or maybe rent it?) as this short post really doesn’t do the game justice. All I can say about this game is that it can be quite tricky to begin with but stick with it!

TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
£9.99 and game.co.uk
Whilst this game only took around 4 hours for me to complete, it is recommended for younger gamers. The graphics and gameplay are simple and fun and eventhough it was shortlived for me, I did enjoy playing through it. The achievements for this game are easy to obtain, so those looking for a quick 1000 gamerscore may wish to buy or rent this title.

Surf’s Up
£9.99 and game.co.uk
This game is good for both kids (under 12?) and those who are addicted to achievements/gamerscore. The game features all the characters from the film, local/offline multiplayer, some nice looking levels and plenty of collectibles to find.

Hitman: Blood Money
£9.99 and game.co.uk
Whilst this is quite an old game now it doesn’t mean it’s dated or not worth playing. Hitman: Blood Money is an interesting game because there are numerous ways to complete each level. There are moments when sneaking around that the game really gets you on the edge of your seat. The graphics are still impressive today and there is plenty of replay value.

Found any cheap xbox 360 game offers yourself? Please post a comment of your findings