Poker Smash is one of the upcoming XBLA titles, and I found this tidbit of information, and thought I would share it before the game comes out… which should be very soon - my guess within the month. Also, if you have any other questions, leave it on the blog, and the investigative people that we are will get you some answers…

Question: When is POKER SMASH coming out?
Answer: As of now we can only say POKER SMASH is definitely coming out later this year. (2007)

Q: What modes will POKER SMASH ship with?
A: POKER SMASH currently has 4 Singleplayer modes and 2 Multiplayer modes. Singleplayer consists of Action Mode, Puzzle Mode, Practice Mode, and Custom Theme Mode. Multiplayer supports up to 5 people in an Xbox Live Tounament Mode as well as a Local Splitscreen Mode.

Q: How much content will ship with POKER SMASH?
A: We currently have 11 Unlockable themes each with it’s own music and graphics. We also have a Splitscreen Theme as well as a Puzzle Theme.

Q: During the development of Poker Smash did any other games give you inspiration?
A: The idea for Poker Smash grew out of the daily Tetris Attack battles that used to occur in the old Oddworld offices, so Tetris Attack was a major inspiration for Poker Smash.

Q: When I watch the gameplay videos sometimes I see a crazy radial blur effect. What’s that all about?
A: The radial blur shows when the slow motion powerup is being used. The right analog trigger controls slow motion. When fully depressed the game runs at 1/4 speed, but the cursor continues to move at full speed. It’s like being a super hero! Slow motion helps you learn to build chained hands and makes huge chains possible. You have a limited amount of slow mo, but it regenerates when you don’t use it. Manage your slow mo correctly and you’ll be amazed at the chains you can achieve. The best so far is over 60x!

Q: What kind of community features will be available for Poker Smash?
A: Poker Smash has features to make it easier to track your friends progress in the game, and for your friends to track your progress. The system will also formalize your offline rivalries with your friends.