OXMUK

What better way to celebrate the baking weather than with a selection of equally scorching Xbox Live Arcade titles? Microsoft has just announced when we'll be enjoying 2011's Summer of Arcade games, how much they'll cost and how to get our hands on a free game.

The five games, including the hotly anticipated From Dust, will be spread out over July and August. Here's the full line-up.

Bastion
(Supergiant Games/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
Release Date: 20 July 
Price: 1200 Microsoft Points

From Dust
(Ubisoft Montpellier/Ubisoft)
Release Date: 27 July 
Price: 1200 Microsoft Points

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
(Fuelcell/Microsoft Studios)
Release Date: 3 August 
Price: 1200 Microsoft Points

Fruit Ninja Kinect
(Halfbrick/Microsoft Studios)
Release Date: 10 August 
Price: 800 Microsoft Points

Toy Soldiers: Cold War
(Signal Studios/Microsoft Studios)
Release Date: 17 August 
Price: 1200 Microsoft Points


Pick up all five games and you'll be entitled to a free copy of Crimson Alliance, worth an impressive 1200MP, for your troubles. It's a four player action RPG developed by Certain Affinity, who are currently contributing to Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

July 27th is going to be a good day for me!

Bastion is a strong maybe
ITSP is a strong maybe
From Dust is a maybe
Fruint Ninja is a yes
Toy Soldiers is a no

CA is a maybe ...

nothing amazing this year for me ala Splosion Man, Limbo or Shadow Complex, shame.

From dust I want badly really looks fun.

When is From dust out on steam, looks very interesting.
Finally a worthy successor to populous: the beginning.

I totally want to pick up Bastion. I love RPGs and it sounds like a good game.

Bastion, From Dust and Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet all look excellent and Toy Soldiers: Cold War looks like a solid offering... its just Fruit Ninja Kinect that is the weak link really but I will buy it anyway because I then get Crimson Alliance effectively for 800MSP.

I can't wait for From Dust

I've wanted that game since the very first time I saw it.

Still waiting for my Castle Crashers 2...

I love how some people already tag the kinect game as the weak spot.... I actually think it's the one I'll end play the most or at least the longer..... I'm sure by this time next year I'll still play it every now and then......

people should stop whinening like babies at kinect.... just give it a try.... yeah it's not virtual reality, with crazy augmented vision and full body controll.... we all know that.... doesn't mean it can't be funny and cool to play alone or with friends....

I mean if you had just a bit of fun with Wii sport at friend house when it first came out there is no way that you won't enjoy anything about kinect unless you like to lie to yourself......

the key word is FUN here... not impressive gameplay and storyline and graphics. FUN FOR GOD SAKE....

one of my fav game last generation was kun fu chaos.... that game was just so fun to play and play again and again and it wasn't a AAAAAAA game.... it was just FUN to play with my peeps....

ok beside that... nice line up... looking forward to try them all and probably will buy a couple if they turn out to be FUN