Slapdah Games' color-matching puzzler TiQal will be this week's sole Xbox Live Arcade release, Microsoft has announced. It will be available for download from the Xbox 360's online Xbox Live Marketplace beginning Wednesday, March 26, at 1 AM PDT.

Priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10), the color-coordinating puzzle game features 120 Mayan-inspired stages, 14 different power-ups, and competitive and co-op play for two players, both online and off.

Microsoft also revealed that a free automatic update to Atomic Elbow's marble-roller Switchball will debut on Wednesday, providing owners of the Xbox Live Arcade title, which arrived last fall, with "enhanced graphics for a smoother gameplay experience and enhanced leaderboards."

The constant evolution of Weekly Download Rundown continues this week. In addition to being able to click name of a platform below and be taken directly to the relevant section, the platform order has been reorganized. Whoo!

Here's what we're looking at this week, in terms of PC and console downloads:

PC:
- Free Sam & Max Episode 4: Abe Lincoln Must Die
- Recent mods, patches and demos, including My Horse and Me
- New GameTap releases, including Sam & Max Season Two Episode One
PlayStation 3:
- Upcoming PSN releases
- College Hoops 2K8, Uncharted demos
- Guitar Hero 3 and MotorStorm Content
Xbox 360:
- Screwjumper hitting Nov. 14
- Switchball, World Puzzle on XBLA
- Two Worlds demo
- New Guitar Hero 3 and Tiger Woods DLC
Wii:
- NA VC: Alien Soldier, Power Golf, Super Mario Bros. 3
- EU VC: Blue's Journey, Power Golf, Super Mario Bros. 3

Go ahead and start the Rundown already, we can wait.

Hot and steamy, we're going to start listing media we add to the site on a daily basis. Not everything is linked in stories, and would be missed otherwise. Today we have screenshots from FlatOut: Head On, Motorm4x, Switchball, Unreal Tournament 3 and World Puzzle along with videos from Need for Speed ProStreet and Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. ... Read more

The puzzle-filled labyrinths of Switchball and the logic challenges of Word Puzzle represent this week's Xbox Live Arcade Games. Both arrive on the download service this Wednesday, November 7, and both will sell for 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

The mazes of the Atomic Elbow-developed, Sierra Online-published Switchball require players to alter the properties of their ball to clear obstacles, such as barriers vulnerable to the Metalball or what Microsoft describes as "physics based death traps," which mandate the Airball. In addition to five environments, the game packs two-player online co-op and eight-player racing.

According to publisher Microsoft, InterServ International's Word Puzzle contains "a whole host of synapse melting challenges." It includes five different game modes, allowing up to four local or online opponents to compete for word searching glory, and InterServ promises an abundance of downloadable word packs to keep the action fresh.

We reported on the release date last week, but Microsoft has now officially confirmed that PomPom Games' top-down room-based shooter Mutant Storm Reloaded will be this week's Xbox Live Arcade title.

Including both online and offline cooperative multiplayer, Mutant Storm Empire and its cacophony of mutant screams and robot death cries hits the service on Wednesday, October 31, selling for 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

Along with Mutant Storm Empire, the company also announced that the final contestants of the Doritos Unlock Xbox Challenge are available to play at Snack Strong Productions. Up until November 18, players can vote for the one game they want to see transformed into a full-fledged Xbox Live Arcade title, which will be released for free in summer 2008.

As for upcoming Xbox Live Arcade releases, Microsoft issued the following list of games that will arrive "in the next few weeks":... Read more

For this week's ShackCast, Remo spent some time hands-on with Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) and several of its new characters--Pit from Kid Icarus, Meta Knight from the Kirby series, the new Samus and her Zero Suit form, and the just-revealed Sonic the Hedgehog.

Nick was at Epic's offices checking out Unreal Tournament 3, which he feels is underrepresented by its recent demo. Carlos met with Sierra to check out several upcoming PC and Xbox Live Arcade downloadable games; some--such as Aces of the Galaxy and Commanders: Attack of the Genos--are promising, and some--Battlestar Galactica--are not.

Plus, all of us played through Portal and loved it, because it is lovely. Finally, we discuss Double Fine's new game announcement and Electronic Arts' acquisition of BioWare and Pandemic Studios.

Don't forget to send in your questions and comments about video games, the Shack, or the ShackCast to shackcast@shacknews.com!

Play or download the podcast now, or browse the episodes through iTunes, RSS, or Digg--or continue on for the full breakdown. ... Read more

A mix of Sierra Entertainment and Sierra Online (Xbox Live Arcade) in this post, with images and videos from Battlestar Galactica, Crash of the Titans, Empire Earth 3, The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night and more. ... Read more

Microsoft ran off a list of more than 20 games coming to Xbox Live Arcade this year during their Santa Monica E3 press conference. Two classic titles will be available on the service today: Sega's speed-platformer Sonic the Hedgehog and the hack-and-slash brawler Golden Axe.

Also confirmed for a 2007 release were Bomberman Live, Undertow, Hexic 2, War World, Sensible World of Soccer, Every Extend Extra Extreme, Geon, Wing Commander Arena, Feeding Frenzy 2, Track and Field, Spyglass Board Games, Space Giraffe, Super Puzzle Fighter II, Word Puzzle, Marathon: Durandal, Poker Smash, Switchball, Tetris Splash, Puzzle Quest, and Boku Sudoku.