Raskulls is a game we’ve been keeping a very close eye on at Destructoid. Halfbrick Studios’ upcoming XBLA game is adorable, funny, and looking to be a delightful mix of platforming, racing, and Mr. Driller block breaking. I think it will rock, but I’m not doing all of this game’s PR work for it. I had Halfbrick itself explain the game.

“Skeletons get such a bad rap these days,” states Halfbrick’s Phil Larsen. “How come each time you see a skeleton, he’s running around with a sword and a shield or trying to be scary or something like that? It’s prejudice against skin-deprived members of society, and we wouldn’t stand for it. So, naturally, our artists created the Raskulls as you see them this day, and they’re both adorable and badass at the same time. That’s what the main character, King, is all about.

“After a long session of on the internet shooting or RPG-ing, it’s often common to unwind with an XBLA game. All too often, though, there isn’t be a suitable game that either A: won’t be a timesink or B: you’ve tired all its possibilities. Raskulls solves that problem like double bacon beef burgers solve hunger. Quick, fun and ultimately delicious, but there’s enough content to keep playing for hours if you want to.”

Hit the jump for more, where Phil talks to us about the game’s modes.

Here’s what Phil had to state about the game’s two main modes, Mega Quest and Grand Prix:

“Mega Quest: This is the main adventure with over 60 levels across three chapters, telling the story of King and his quest to save the Raskulls world. It’s very funny and we’ve polished it with great dialogue and cutscenes which keep the action flowing. It will take you roughly 4 hours to finish your first time through, but there’s replayability with extra items to collect and bonus challenges. Not to mention Leaderboard levels and high scores to dominate your friends and/or well-wishers.

Levels will take several different forms as each level is filled with bright and colorful block formations which help and hinder your progress. Some levels simply require you to advance to the end, but then we’ve mixed it up by adding time limits, racing against other Raskulls, combat items and Frenzy boosters. The blocks are there to ensure each level plays differently and there are 10 gameplay variations players will encounter over 60 levels of the Mega Quest.

Grand Prix Mode: This is sixteen levels across four Grand Prix matches. You can play through them in single player collecting medals and beating each difficulty level, or in multiplayer either locally or on the internet.”

Destructoid will have more from Halfbrick later, and we’ll also be playing Raskulls very soon! Stay tuned for that.

Via Destructoid

Left 4 Dead 2 released yesterday and, while its Versus Mode is terrific fun, you’d be hard pressed to find many people able to enjoy it. The game has been hit with massive lag on Xbox Live, despite two updates being made available for the game since retail duplicates were made.

Destructoid staff members have been hit with issues when connecting online. Brad Nicholson has suffered from lag, as have I and my wife. Looking around on the web seems to confirm that this is a widespread problem, with complaints pouring in like a horde of Infected near a car alarm. The night before launch, the game was running smoothly from my experience, but now the game is a stuttering nuisance most of the time.

Repeated attempts to get into games can find some smooth-running games, but most are almost impossible to play. This is obviously not the kind of thing you want to have for an online-focused game at launch. I’m sure Valve will resolve the issue in good time, but right now it’s very frustrating.