XBLA Reviews

Trouble Witches Neo was released by SNK Playmore. It was released on May 5, 2011 and retails for 800 MSP. A copy was provide for review purposes.

Trouble Witches Neo is a horizontal shooter that clearly takes inspiration from Deathsmiles. Putting that aside it is easy to see that it’s a fun and fundamentally sound shooter that most players will enjoy. The premise of the game is simple; an apprentice witch must complete her mission to become a full fledged witch. The story doesn’t really matter, but for those who care there is a story mode that details the characters’ outcomes. The real draw here is the action, and Trouble Witches Neo has plenty of it.

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Nin2-Jump was developed by Cave  and retails for 400 MSP.

Nin2-Jump (pronounced Nin-Nin-Jump) is a platformer that comes from an unlikely heritage. It was developed by Cave, a developer famous for one thing: bullet hell shooters. It’s not hard to see where this influenced the game in many places. But in releasing Nin2-Jump Cave has proven that they can produce competent games in other genres.

Much like a shooter, the story here is razor thin. You are a ninja. Your goal is to save the princess. You achieve this by collecting scrolls and destroying bosses. While this all sounds familiar it is enough to drive the game, and it is the gameplay that matters.

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Pinball FX2 was developed and published by Zen Studios. The full game retails for free, individual tables can be purchased for 200 MSP. The Mars Table retails for 240 MSP. A copy of the DLC was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

Last November, we reviewed Pinball FX 2 and recommended that people buy the game. While the initial game download was free, players could then choose to demo and buy individual pinball tables for 200 MSP a piece.

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The Fancy Pants Adventures was developed by Brad Borne and Over the Top Games, and published by EA 2D. It was released April 20, 2011 for 800MSP.

Yet another XBLA game based on a flash game, The Fancy Pants Adventures is the next installment of the popular online sidescroller. Although it’s a sequel no previous knowledge of the series is needed to play this game. This time, pirates invade Fancy Pants’ home of Squigglesville and kidnap his little sister. Although this game is likely to be overlooked by heavier hitters like Super Meat Boy, Fancy Pants proves yet again that good XBLA games can come from online flash games and bring improvements to boot.
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‘Splosion Man was developed by Twisted Pixel Games and retails for 800 MSP. It was released July 22, 2009.

‘Splosion Man is a platform jumping game in which our hero must escape the lab where he was created. He is armed with only one weapon: the ability to repeatedly explode himself, or “splode”.  When he does, he is launched into the air. This is, in effect, his jump and attack rolled into one. He can splode three times in succession and splode off of walls to get where he needs to go.

This simple mechanic is quick to pick up and carries our hero through the many difficulties that follow. And there are many traps waiting: acid, attack robots, lasers, and giant vices to name a few. But there is always a unique answer to each problem. Simply put, this game gets platforming right.

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Section 8: Prejudice was developed and published by TimeGate Studios. It was released April 20, 2011 for 1200MSP. A copy of the game was provided by the developer/publisher for review purposes.

It’s a rare thing when a game can be recommended before even going into a review. It has to be top-notch; not just any old game could set such a standard. Enter Section 8: Prejudice, a game so amazing that it may very well be to Xbox Live Arcade what Goldeneye and Perfect Dark were to the Nintendo 64. TimeGate Studios has a never-to-be-forgotten hit on their hands, one that everyone will cherish for years to come.

The game is set in a future where Earth’s resources have been used up and mankind has colonized other planets. It centers around two factions, Section 8 and the Arm of Orion. The Arm seeks to wreak havoc and terror on humanity, seeking payback for wrongs committed in days past. It features a solid campaign as well as two strong multiplayer modes.

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Yar’s Revenge was developed by Killspace Entertainment, published by Atari and was released on April 13th, 2011 for 800MSP. A copy of the game was provided to us for review purposes.The original Yars’ Revenge was one of the best selling games on the Atari 2600, making it somewhat of a puzzle why it has taken so long to come back. There have been a couple of remakes and re-releases but this is the first original game based on the license since that first Atari release.

We now have Yar’s Revenge on XBLA, and that apostrophe wasn’t accidentally misplaced. While the original game referred to a race this games title refers to a single Yar, the character players control. Although to confuse matters further she is often referred to as Yar. The game is no longer a single screen shooter but has been transformed into an on-rails affair akin to Sin & Punishment or Rez.

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Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes was developed by Capybara Games, published by Ubisoft and released on April 14, 2011 for 1200MSP.

Clash of Heroes stems from the Might & Magic franchise but takes it into a completely different direction with puzzle/strategy-based gameplay and a fairly self-contained storyline from the rest of the series’s continuity. With roots in the familiar match-three mechanics of games like Bejeweled, Clash of Heroes may appear to be quite generic at first glance. However, the game’s critical success in its 2009 Nintendo DS release suggests otherwise. Does Capybara’s latest XBLA release manage to carry over a winning formula that can capture the love of a different gaming audience? Read More

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.

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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