This is a big week for Xbox, at least where the updates are concerned. Funnily enough, the games for this week ended up being more interesting than the Nov. 17th update. And of course, we're coming close to the end of Season 3 of The Guild. Will the Knights of Good survive the big fight?

Gyromancer & Diner Dash

There are two interesting additions this week – Gyromancer and Diner Dash. The first one brings back memories of old Final Fantasy games (and other old-school games in that genre).  Alright, so you don't get to fight with swords and spells but other than that, the format is somewhat the same. In a nutshell, you will be embarking on a quest once you hear the cheesy storyline. Dappled corridors? Nice touch there, mate.

Anyway, your little journey path will be  map where certain stops will either contain goodies or monsters. Here comes the real kicker – what's the fighting aspect like in this game? Well, instead of the usual slash-parry movements, you indulge in a little gem-matching. Yep, they've incorporated the puzzle bit as the battle itself. It is actually more complicated than a simple twist-turn-and-match game. You must match the colors with the monster's designated skull color so as to attack him and fend off attacks. That in itself becomes a race against time. Oh and did I mention that you will be sending out one of your many pets to do battle?

I like this game but I am not sure if I will be picking it up. Sure, the graphics are pretty and brings back fond memories. Remember the text-over-still-image storytelling methods of games like Vandal Hearts? Be ready to find plenty of that here. But I miss the player-vs-NPC battles and spellcasting. If you are interested, this one is up for grabs at 1200 MS Points.

Then there is Diner Dash. I was sure this would be something I would poke fun at. I mean, seriously … you act as a waitron in a diner and deliver meals? Why would that be fun? And so, that's why I am surprised that I will be playing that game -again – at the end of the work day. It is surprisingly addictive. It's not as complex as Theme Hospital or that awesome classic Evil Genius (yes, yes, I am struggling for street cred and will mention game titles for that effect). However, this game can be a fun way of passing time. I honestly see myself clocking this once and then keeping this game around for rainy days. Try it out, it's all yours for 800 MS points.

Xbox News

Remember how Xbox Live was welcoming social networking applications like Twitter? Yea, the much awaited update is now available. Thus, now you can access Twitter, Facebook, Zune Video and Last.fm. Do note, you don't get that last feature in some countries so … if you are not on that list, I'm guessing you are one of the many annoyed Gold members. Oh and the features are not that brilliant. Like I mentioned earlier, you can't check the links your friends tweet on Twitter (hello browser!). Plus, typing out a sentence using your controller can become tiring. So … good luck with that.

The Guild: Battle Royale

The Guild episodes keep getting better and better. Vork is fantastic as the guild leader (as always) and Zaboo comes with the appropriate snarkiness. I honestly don't know how they will resolve Clare's gaming dilemma. Maybe they are leaving that open for next season?