UTV Ignition has announced that their physics puzzle game, Mercury Hg, will be hitting Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network this September.

The game can be best described as a slippery blob version of Marble Madness, as the player tilts the level to coax a metallic blob through a geometric interface. The mechanic is so central, that Mercury Hg actually supports the now-dated Sixaxis motion control. The full game will include 60 levels filled with hazards and obstacles, while adding improvements and polish to the game.

Mercury Hg will not only be available on Xbox Live Arcade and PSN in September, but will be a bargain-priced 400 Microsoft Points ($4.99 USD).

PopCap Games has announced they will be releasing Bejeweled 3 on five different platforms. Bejeweled 3 will be released on Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PSN, Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE Arcade. The title will be released on all five platforms at the same time in Q4 2011.

“Critics agree that Bejeweled 3 raised the standard for match-3 games to new heights,” said Ed Allard, studio head at PopCap Games.  “This holiday, we’re bringing that experience to PlayStation 3, PSN, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and Nintendo DS gamers with adaptations that look great and play even better on each platform.”

Bejeweled 3 took the match three genre to the next level. The third installment added eight mini-games and a complete revision of sound and graphics. The fundamental game play has not changed; players still match three or more of the same gem. Bejeweled 3 is a fun game and it is great news that it will be coming to more platforms.

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First, it was calica dolls – now Tim Schafer and Double Fine Studios returns to adventure gaming with matryoshka dolls in Stacking, reports GameSpy.

According to Schafer:

“We’re really excited to be doing another game with THQ, building on the success we had with Costume Quest, and delivering another great adventure told in an entirely new way,” Schafer said in a statement.

The game stars Charlie Blackmore, the youngest and smallest of a family of Russian matryoshka dolls, is on a quest to bring all of his family members back together. The adventure game will be loaded with puzzles, and given the subject matter, you can bet there will be a few based on the Tower of Hanoi-style problem. Stacking will have multiple solutions to many of the puzzles as well.

The game will be released on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in 2011. Let us know what you think.

One of the best trivia games ever released, You Don’t Know Jack, finally returns, and will be released this holiday season on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and WiiWare, as well as the Nintendo DS.

The pioneer of the interactive game show format, YOU DON’T KNOW JACK combines the social dynamics of classic board games with the entertaining story arcs of great television game shows. Returning with all-new questions and classic features such as Screw Your NeighborTM and commercial parodies, the homecoming of YOU DON’T KNOW JACK is sure to thrill excited fans as well as launch a new generation of devoted players.

You Don’t Know Jack was best known for taking a dry game genre – trivia – and infusing with off-the-wall attitude and television production values. Let us know how amped you are for the return of this classic.

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Plants Vs. Zombies (PvZ) is the most popular Popcap Game ever released, even more so than such titles as Bejeweled or Peggle, though it seems any game that features zombies tends to get a fan following. PvZ, however, takes the tower defense game and adds a mix of real-time strategy to the mix, and has struck a chord.

The game has been released on PC and Mac, as well as iPhone and iPod Touch; in fact, it’s one of the most popular apps on iOS. To rehash the game, you are a survivor who is facing an onslaught of zombies intent on chowing down on your juicy brains, and your only defense are plants that you put in the ground. A few provide sunlight, which is the currency with which to purchase the plants, while others are offensive weapons that damage the zombies. Others serve as protection, and still others have special effects such as turning a zombie on its mates. The zombies themselves come in many flavors, from gargantuan behemoths to zombies floating in the air attached to helium balloons to Michael Jackson breakdancing zombies disco dancing zombies with their own backup dancers. There are five scenarios in which you fight: day, night, a pool, a pool at night, and the roof. The latter four circumstances require special strategies, from having to plant nocturnal plants (and a lack of ambient sunlight to capture) to having to put plants in pots. For more detail on the gameplay, you can check the original review here.

The chief question is: how does the Xbox Live Arcade version work, and what else does it bring to the lawn?

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