15 years ago
On a Roll Review (XBLIG)
On a Roll was developed by Battenberg Software and released on September 21, 2009 and costs 80 Microsoft Points. A copy was provided by the developer for review purposes.
Not every modern video game needs overzealous protagonists, realistic environments or gratuitous violence to be successful—sometimes all a game needs is a round ball furnished with buggy eyes to supplement an efficient gameplay mechanic. Enter the world of On a Roll.
15 years ago
Rewind Review: Ikaruga (XBLA)
Ikaruga is a vertical shooter developed by Treasure and released on Xbox Live Arcade April 9, 2008. The game is a port of the arcade original that was released 2001. It also received a Japan-only port to the Dreamcast and a much later port to the GameCube in the US. With so many versions, why should we be concerned about yet another one? The answer is simple – this is the definitive version of the game.
15 years ago
Poker Night Review (XBLIG)
Poker Night was developed by PouncingKitten Games and release January 9, 2011 and costs 80MSP. A copy was provided by the developer for review purposes.
The recent release of Microsoft’s Full House Poker has allowed people to finally play Texas Hold’em on their Xbox. However, the game faces competition from the indie game Poker Night, allowing players to play not only one but thirty types of poker. Although not as sleek as Full House Poker, the game does offer some quality poker fun.
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15 years ago
Alpha Squad review (XBLIG)
Alpha Squad was released January 12, 2011. It was developed by DragonDivide and retails for 240MSP. A copy of the game was provided by the developer for review purposes.
The Indie Games section of the Xbox dashboard is filled with twin stick shooters. It takes something special to make one of them stand out above the others. Alpha Squad by DragonDivide attempts to differentiate itself with impressive art, beautiful in-game lighting and other gameplay mechanics. But does it succeed in rising above the sea of competition?
15 years ago
Toy Cars Review (XBLIG)
Toy Cars was developed by Eclipse Games and released on February 21, 2011 and costs 80 Microsoft Points. A copy was provided by the developer for review purposes.
For anyone that has been gaming since the days of the original Nintendo Entertainment System, the arcade racing title Micro Machines was a game with tiny cars but with a lot of heart, and now the Xbox Live Indie Channel has been graced with a contemporary nod to that game in the form of Toy Cars.
15 years ago
SFG Officer Brawlers Review (XBLIG)
Ever got a somewhat back-handed email from a colleague and thought, “I wanna knock that person’s block off”? Well, Stir Fry Games offers a legal alternative. Office Brawlers is a simplistic fighting game where the player takes on colleagues due to simple email misunderstandings. Oh yeah, and players also get to fight Bill Lumberg from Office Space.
15 years ago
The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile review (XBLA)
The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile was developed by Ska Studios and will be released on April 6, 2011 for 800 MSP. A copy of the game was provided for review purposes.
The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai was an indie success story if ever there was one. The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile is the much awaited sequel to that success story and it’s going far beyond the scope of its predecessor. A story mode, 50 levels of arcade- both single player and co-op, and a never-ended Dish Challenge mode for the masochists of the world that want to fight endless waves of baddies. Standard beat ’em up modes, but the variety of enemies, the two unique characters with their unique weapons and coherent story makes The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile into a fantastic experience. Read More
15 years ago
Rewind Review: Small Arms (XBLA)
Small Arms was developed by Gastronaut Studios and released by Microsoft Game Studios on November 22, 2006. It’s available on the XBLA Marketplace for 400MSP.
When the XBLA service was first introduced to me I felt like there wasn’t enough substance to keep me interested. Geometry Wars was there day one which was fantastic, but other than that most of the games really didn’t look too original or polished. Then I heard about Small Arms. It was released exactly a year after the release of the Xbox 360 and I was very excited to get my hands on it. Despite drawing from experiences like Super Smash Brothers on the various Nintendo consoles, the Small Arms formula feels unique and interesting which, when accompanied by the odd looking cyborg critters you get to play as, gave the game a strong sense of originality which the platform needed at the time. Read More
15 years ago
The Sugar Killerz Review (XBLIG)
The Sugar Killerz was developed by Fun Hazard and released on March 8, 2011 and costs 400 Microsoft Points. A copy was provided by the developer for review purposes.
It seems the twin-stick shooter is back and The Sugar Killerz is the most recent iteration of this recently rejuvenated genre. Playing as one of four gun-toting killerz out for some sweet justice, players shoot away calorie-heavy hooligans pouring onto the screen.
15 years ago
Rewind Review: TMNT: Turtles In Time Re-Shelled (XBLA)
The 90’s were an amazing time for arcade games. So many 2.5D beat em’ ups were released during that time — Final Fight, X-Men, The Simpsons, and and two installments from our half-shelled heroes, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Games like these defined the genre and made way for modern beat em’ ups like Castle Crashers. When word was first leaked that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time was being remade in HD over at Ubisoft Singapore the teens of the 1990’s squealed like a teenage girl. But so many games from yesteryear feel dated when dusted off and fired up. Could Ubisoft’s HD remake, subtitled with Re-Shelled, stand the test of time? Find out after the jump.