Featured Reviews

Bellator: MMA Onslaught was developed by Kung Fu Factory and published by 345 Games. It was released on July 11, 2012 for 1200 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

Bellator: MMA Onslaught brings mixed martial arts (MMA) to Xbox Live Arcade for the first time. Onslaught is based on the Bellator Fighting League so it will likely be unfamiliar to those who only know about the UFC. Bellator utilizes a tournament system to determine who will get a title shot. Otherwise the rules in Bellator are largely the same as any other MMA organization. Onslaught’s main game mode revolves around the tournament and becoming the champ. The real question is whether or not Onslaught can compete with the MMA video game big boys the same way the Bellator league is attempting to compete in the MMA scene.

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Quantum Conundrum was developed by Airtight Games and published by Square Enix. It’s was released on July 11, 2012 for 1200 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

There are some people who don’t like visiting their relatives since it wastes your weekend of fun in the sun. Now imagine if that person you’re visiting was your uncle. Uncles are fun right? They sometimes give you candy or money, but this time, he’s gone missing.

In Quantum Conundrum, you play the nephew of Professor Fitz Quadwrangle who’s just learned his uncle is in another dimension. It’s up to you to try and locate him throughout the many rooms in his mansion. Entrusted in you is a glove called the IDS that can switch dimensions. This is the latest from Portal creator Kim Swift and if Portal is a dark comedy, this is a Saturday Morning Cartoon that can appeal to any age demographic.
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Spelunky was developed by Mossmouth and was published by Microsoft Studios. It was released on July 4, 2012 and retails for 1200 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

Spelunky casts you as a nameless adventurer seeking treasure in a deep cave. Blocking you from your bounty are countless enemies, traps, and other hazards. The way you choose to tackle these challenges really defines how the game will play for you. Some may crash ahead fearlessly while others will be more cautious. Spelunky is technically an action/platformer, but it also has roguelike qualities as well. You run and jump, whip and shoot. What’s surprising is to learn that death is permanent here and one false move sends you back to the very beginning.  It’s a truly unique game and is presented in a very attractive manner. It does everything it sets out to do, even when it’s rejecting modern gaming conventions.

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The Walking Dead was developed and published by Telltale Games. It was released June 27, 2012 for 400 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

With the first episode of The Walking Dead, Telltale Games gave us something very special. It was a game with a compelling story in which choice mattered. You cared enough about the believable characters and world they had created that the decisions were never easy.

We thought Episode 1 was pretty amazing so Episode 2, Starved For Help, had a lot to live up to. If you’re reading this then you probably already played the first episode, and you will have to own it to play this one. You’ll be pleased to know Telltale has not only met the expectations set by the first episode but easily exceeded them. Read More

Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad was developed by 2XL Games and published by D3 Publisher. It was released on June 27, 2012 for 800 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

Off-road racing is a relative newcomer to Xbox Live Arcade. Only two other titles have braved otherwise untouched territory, Sega Rally Online Arcade and the Mad Riders, left us feeling that as good as they were they could have been more. 2XL Games’ Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad is the third competitor in this relatively small market. It pits would-be racers against McGrath and six other racers in varied environments and vehicles. Unfortunately it doesn’t stack up to expectations, and while there’s a solid racer underneath, whether it’s a solid game is another story.

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Bang Bang Racing was developed and published by Digital Reality. It was released June 6, 2012 for 800 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes

Many racing titles have graced XBLA lately but none have attempted to confuse the player with a dumbfounded title like Bang Bang Racing–the gameplay possibilities with a title like that can begin at generic demolition or race to NSFW hijinks. Joking aside, when you boost into the experience you’ll quickly discover a competent racer with tight controls and a heap of unlockable content but an excluded multiplayer component that places this title in a distant third.

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Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 was developed by Stainless Games and Wizards of the Coast and published by Microsoft Studios. It retails for 800 MSP and was released on June 20, 2012. A copy was provided for review purposes.

Stainless Games and Wizards of the Coast have brought us our third iteration of the ridiculously named “Magic: the Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 201X” series. That means new cards, more missions, new modes, a redesigned interface, and yet the game’s name is still far too long. As such, while discussing the aforementioned inclusions, we will be referring to Magic: the Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 as Magic 2013 for the remainder of this review.

For the uninitiated, Magic 2013 pits you against several AI duelists throughout its multiple campaigns. Use cards to generate resources which you spend to summon creatures and cast spells. Learn about the different decks throughout the campaign and unlock them for your own use. Red, white, blue, black and green cards populate each deck and all have different signatures; for instance, green features powerful creatures, where-as black specializes in manipulating the dead. Handy tips and a thorough tutorial do a comprehensive job of teaching newcomers to the franchise, so don’t be afraid to jump right in.

As an up-front for interested veterans, no you still cannot freely create decks or mix and match cards, unfortunately, however Magic 2013 has the most cards in the series to date. If you want the card game in video game form, this is it, but if you want all of the Magic: the Gathering culture, you’d best go down to your local game store and participate there. Since this is the third iteration and many of you are simply curious about what’s new here, Magic 2013’s cards are all from the upcoming Magic 2013 core set. On top of that there are four campaigns including two different sorts of puzzles and the all new game mode Planechase.

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Marvel Pinball: The Avengers Chronicles for Pinball FX 2 was developed by Zen Studios and published by Microsoft Studios. It retails for 800 MSP and was released on June 20, 2012. A copy was provided for review purposes.

Marvel Pinball: The Avengers Chronicles is the latest addition to the ever growing Pinball FX 2 library. This is a four table pack themed around the Avengers.  With so many tables now available this needed to be a special collection to stand out. After playing this set for some time it’s clear that Zen Studios put something really special together. The four tables are based on the the Avengers, Infinity Gauntlet, World War Hulk, and Fear Itself. Each strikes a perfect balance in style, theme, speed, and challenge. Each table is a worthy addition by itself, but as a set they seem all the more cohesive. Deftly mixing new twists with solid gameplay, The Avengers Chronicles does everything right.

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Babel Rising was developed by Mando Productions and published by Ubisoft. It was released June 13, 2012 for 800 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

We’ve all been there. You move into a nice area with a great view and some jumped up Babylonian builds a ruddy big tower…well maybe not. Babel Rising is the latest Kinect centric game released on XBLA. The game aims to give players the “hands of god” to smite tiny Babylonians who persist in building a large tower. Players utilize the elements of fire, water, earth and air to create bolts of lightning and gigantic floods that reign down punishment. The game plays out much like your standard Tower Defense affair, except here we’re trying to halt the creation of a tower rather than the destruction of one. The motion controls are designed to give players a unique sense of power, but does flapping your arms around in your front room yelling “ultimate power” really provide a god-like experience?

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JAM Live Music Arcade was developed by Zivix and published by Reverb Publishing and 505 Games. It was released May16, 2012 for 800 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

It’s been quiet in the world of music games recently, leaving our plastic guitars and drums to collect dust for over a year. JAM set out to deliver a brand new music experience, hoping to gamers a new reason to break out the fake six string. JAM lets players get creative with the game’s 32 tracks, allowing elaborate mixing and recording through the game’s soundboard. It may sound good, but it could have been so much better. There was potential, but it was crushed under the weight of trying to make it a game.

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