Will it let you spell bad words? Try it and see...

This week Hasbro Games along with Electronic Arts now have a nice selection of old school goodies that you can download to your Xbox 360 console. I myself grew up on a few of these games like Scrabble, Boggle, Battleship and Yahtzee. The download is titled ‘Hasbro Family Game Night’ and it provides a platform, or game room, for you to add these family favorites to your online gaming arsenal. The initial download is free but to acquire an online playable version it’s going to cost you 800 Microsoft points ($10). Now mind you that is for each of the titles too. The cool thing is it looks like they will be adding more games as the year progresses.

I picked up Scrabble first and was able to get in a few heated games at launch. At first try the EA server was down (not a suprise being the first day and all), but then it wasn’t long until I was able to find a random group in the ‘Quick Match’ option. As expected, a game of Scrabble is not fast paced at all. I mean you can play your turn, get up, grab another beer, take a bathroom break and come back before your next turn has started. The only peev I encountered was the inability to see the board very well when it is not your turn. I would like to be able to scan for possible word slams before my turn actually starts. I think that would keep that gamepace up and not have to start looking for a high scoring play at the beginning of your turn. Other than that, the onscreen adaptation is nicely done – very stylized and you can even download different room themes to fit your style (some of those are even free which is a plus!).

I plan to pick up a few more of the titles, Yahtzee seems like a good choice next, and I think that it would be nice to see some other Hasbro games like Stratego, or Clue available. I’m sure they will be rounding the bend soon enough.

-Crutchboy Out

Coming to wreck a Con near you!

Games like “Monopoly Here and Now: World Edition,” “Battleship” and “Boggle” have entered the digital world with EA using the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to showcase upcoming spring releases aimed at the burgeoning casual games market.

A new version of “SCRABBLE” for PSP and Nintendo DS introduces a SCRABBLE Slam mode that challenges players to get rid of Slam cards by spelling words.

Those wishing to go green can save paper by playing “Trivial Pursuit” on Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 2.

After releasing “Hasbro Family Game Night” on Wii and PS2 last fall, EA is offering all of the games on Xbox Live Arcade.

Gamers can buy games individually or the entire suite, which includes “SCRABBLE,” “Connect Four,” “Boggle,” “Yahtzee,” “Battleship,” “Sorry!,” and “Sorry! Sliders.”

But despite the recent influx of board games going digital, Hasbro isn’t about to lose its lucrative board game business.

“I don’t think you can ever replace the experience of pulling out a box of “Monopoly” and playing in front of the fireplace with your family over the holidays,” said Chip Lange, EA Hasbro vice president and general manager.

Instead, Lange foresees video games giving franchises like “SCRABBLE” and “Yahtzee” new life through online connectivity that allows families to play together from across the country.

The virtual world also opens up new gameplay options like a 30-minute speed game of “Monopoly.”

“The cardboard version of “Connect Four” is limited to connecting four checkers in a row, but we can do things like blow up checkers in the digital version and it adds a lot of new strategic gameplay mechanics,” said Lange. “These video games keep the brands relevant in the digital age.”