Arriving this Wednesday on Xbox Live Arcade are two puzzlers of very different breeds, Proper Games' Flock! and Infinite Interactive's Puzzle Quest: Galactrix.

Flock! is the simple tale of a UFO herding sheep past obstacles into its mothership, whereas Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is an addictive gem-matching RPG mashup.

Round Flock! up for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15) and Puzzle Quest for 1600 ($20).

Flock! also arrives on the PC on Tuesday and PlayStation Network on Thursday. Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is due a PlayStation Network release some time later this spring.

Update: The downloadable Xbox 360 edition of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix will run 1600 Microsoft Points ($20), a D3Publisher representative has informed Shacknews.

Original: Ending months of jealous glares at PC and DS players, D3 has announced that Puzzle Quest: Galactrix will hit the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday, April 8.

Infinite Interactive's sequel to its addicting puzzle-RPG Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, Galactrix brings the block-matching series into the sci-fi realm, complete with spaceship battles, space pirates, and the effects of zero gravity on said blocks.

PC and Nintendo DS editions of Galactrix arrived in late February, with downloadable Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions then slated for "early 2009." Still no word on a release date for the PS3 version, other than the vague "spring" timeframe.

Microsoft today announced the "Days of Arcade," a promotion that will deliver these seven downloadable Xbox 360 games across the six weeks beginning March 18:

• The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai / James Silva
• Flock / Proper Games
• Hasbro Family Game Night / Electronic Arts
• Lode Runner / Tozai Games
• Outrun Online Arcade / Sumo Digital
• Puzzle Quest: Galactrix / Infinite Interactive
• UNO Rush / Microsoft

Only two of those games have specific release dates at this time: EA's Hasbro Family Game Night arrives March 18, packing Connect Four, Battleship, Yahtzee, Boggle, Sorry! and Sorry! Sliders, and Proper Games' animal-herding game Flock follows April 8.

As the PC and Nintendo DS editions of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix head out to retailers today, various digital distribution outlets have begun selling the addictive puzzle-RPG.

Those looking to avoid the hassle of securing a retail copy can now buy and immediately download the $19.99 PC version from Steam, Gamersgate, Direct2Drive, and Impulse. In addition, a new trailer was released.

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Developed by Infinite Interactive, the sequel to Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords will also arrive as a downloadable PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game in the near future. For those on the edge, I kindly suggest you check out the free PC demo

Update: The Xbox.com page for Puzzle Quest now lists a "TBD" date.

The downloadable Xbox 360 release of Infinite Interactive's Puzzle Quest: Galactrix will arrive next Wednesday, February 25, according to the game's Xbox.com page.

The Xbox Live Arcade version of the addictive puzzler-RPG sequel is joined by the PC and Nintendo DS versions, which head off to retailers on February 24. The PC edition will be available in downloadable form as well, with a PlayStation 3 release due soon.

A price point for the Xbox Live Arcade edition has not been specified. In the meantime, PC players can find a playable demo of the game over at FileShack.

The PC version of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix will launch on February 24, the same day that the Nintendo DS edition heads to stores, D3Publisher and Aspyr have announced.

Aspyr will handle the digital and retail distribution of the PC version in North America, with the downloadable PC version slated to be sold on Game Agent. The second entry in the Puzzle Quest series was developed by franchise creator Infinite Interactive.

While D3Publisher has only said that the downloadable PS3 and Xbox 360 releases of the addictive puzzle-RPG will arrive in "early 2009," it seems a safe bet to assume that they'll arrive within the same timeframe as the PC and Nintendo DS editions.

Now available from FileShack is a 133MB demo for Puzzle Quest: Galactrix PC, allowing players to sample the latest puzzle-RPG hybrid from Infinite Interactive. The followup to Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords will be released as a PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 download in the "early 2009" timeframe, with a cartridge-based Nintendo DS edition shipping to North American stores February 24.

For more on Galactrix and the changes it brings to the match-three-or-more-blocks-of-the-same-color series, check out our preview coverage.

The DS version of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, the latest in Infinite Interactive's ultra-addictive puzzle-RPG series, will ship to retailers on February 24, D3Publisher has announced.

The downloadable Xbox 360 and PC versions are still said to arrive in the ever-vague "early 2009," with a downloadable PS3 edition now due in that same timeframe.

As part of a press release celebrating Xbox Live Arcade's record-breaking year, Microsoft today listed the following downloadable Xbox 360 games as examples of Xbox Live Arcade releases that will help "ring in the new year:"

• Lode Runner / Tozai Games
• The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai / James Silva
• South Park / doublesix games
• Puzzle Quest: Galactrix / Infinite Interactive
• R-Type Dimensions / Tozai Games

No specific price points or release dates were provided.

In all, gamers have earned nearly 100 million Achievements from Xbox Live Arcade games, a feat that, according to Microsoft, amounts to 1.25 billion gamerpoints. Oh, and 110 million free trials have been downloaded since the service launched in 2005.

"Xbox Live Arcade has really become the top destination for premium downloadable games," said Microsoft director of digitally distributed games Scott Austin. "And we've got a long list of games coming out in 2009 that we think will be just as incredible as what we already have on the service."

I am fairly confident that with Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (PC, 360, DS) developer Infinite Interactive is beginning the second phase of its master plan to destroy the world.

The first Puzzle Quest, Challenge of the Warlords, was a near-perfect blend of simplistic match-three-or-more-of-the-same-color gameplay. with a host of RPG-style mechanics like spells and experience. The result was an addictive tour de force that surprised nearly everyone, and eventually hit every major platform other than the PlayStation 3.

The sequel--now slated to debut early next year instead of the original fall 2008 date--looks to expand on all of that. Sure, the fantasy elements have been replaced by a sleek sci-fi aesthetic, the orbs are now hexagons, and now you have to worry about gravity dictating where new pieces come from, but the core gameplay is unchanged.

It's more than just matching up random pieces that happen to share the same color. Those aren't just a bunch of useless red blocks--lining them up could give you the red energy needed to unleash a destructive attack. So what's different?... Read more

Publisher D3Publisher of America has released new screenshots from the DS and Xbox 360 editions of Infinite Interactive's Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, its sci-fi themed sequel to the popular fantasy puzzler. A new trailer was also provided.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is expected to debut this fall on PC, Nintendo DS, and as a downloadable title on the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade platform.

Infinite Interactive's RPG-puzzle series Puzzle Quest is entering the final frontier this fall, D3Publisher of America has announced.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix will bring the franchise into space, sporting new mechanics that revolve around a fleet of spaceships and a hexagonal playing field. Rather than choosing one particular class, players will customize the ships of their ever-growing fleet, affording them a greater variety of skills and attacks--the energy for which comes from matching various colors--without needing to replay the game.

Expect Puzzle Quest: Galactrix to hit this fall on Xbox Live Arcade, PC, and Nintendo DS. When asked about the possibility of a PlayStation 3 or PSP edition, a D3 representative told Shacknews that they are possible, though no final decisions have been made.