I'll post a full Xbox Live Marketplace round-up on Friday, but there are some Xbox 360 tidbits too good not to stuff in your virtual holiday stocking tonight:
- The original Halo is on sale for half off ($7.50) via Marketplace download this week.
- Microsoft is offering some cool holiday gifts tied to gamer picture downloads, but it's not for all Gold members. Only new members who subscribe for 12 months between December 23 and January 5 directly from their 360 or via the Marketplace Web site (prepaid cards don't qualify!) can pick a prize by selecting a gamerpic to download (the first one you select determines your prize). This would have been a great holiday reward/value-add for all Gold members, but that's not the case if you read the fine print. Those who do pony up $50 will sacrifice the bonus month offered on prepaid cards but can get their choice of Crackdown Getting Busy Bonus Pack, Every Extend Extra Extreme, Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack, Hardwood Spades, Hexic 2, N+ or Poker Smash.
- Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts and Castle Crashers have been patched. Get the title updates by loading the games while connected to Xbox Live. Banjo-Kazooie now has an option for more readable text on non-HD displays, and Castle Crashers apparently won't eat your save file and may perform better online (people are giving mixed reviews on the latter).
- Finally, if you even remotely enjoy jigsaw puzzles, get Puzzle Arcade - easily the best $10 I've spent on Xbox Live Marketplace. This thing is packed with different modes: dynamic puzzles that evolve as you solve them, fractal puzzles where you make big jigsaw pieces by solving smaller puzzles first, challenge modes with bots that steal your pieces as you try to re-assemble a bosomy Lara Croft, custom puzzles made with a Vision camera and even online multiplayer modes. It plays beautifully with a controller once you master a few basic moves such as rotation, zooming and piece sorting. Try the demo - when the time runs out on your first puzzle, you'll get the option to unlock it and keep going.
