Blog

The jig is almost up, Monaco: What’s Yours is Mine is set to steal its way on to XBLA next Wednesday and to set us up for launch date, …
Read More

Alien Spidy was developed by Enigma Software Productions and published by Kalypso Media. It was released March 20, 2013 for 800 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

In the interest of full disclosure, we were unable to complete Alien Spidy for this review. Finishing a game before it’s reviewed is the ideal, but as you read you’ll understand the issues encountered that led to these circumstances.

Enigma Software Productions may not be a familiar name to most gamers, especially on the Xbox Marketplace. Their previous titles include History Channel: Legends of War – Patton, War Leaders: Clash of Nations and several other RTS and action games. Coming from a lineage of titles like that, it’s surprising to see a game like Alien Spidy come from the same studio. With its cute animation style and what looks to be fun, laid-back platformer gameplay, the game is a real step into uncertain territory — which is something we’d normally encourage. However, looks can be deceiving, and even though it’s nice to see a developer step out of their comfort zone, there’s something to be said for sticking to your strengths. In this case, Alien Spidy is a game that would have been better left unspun.

Alien Spidy puts players in the role of an alien spider named, you guessed it, Spidy. As the game opens, Spidy’s friend Virgi sets out on an exploratory mission to the planet Earth; however, Spidy quickly becomes concerned when he loses contact with her. Being the adventurous sort, Spidy decides to set out for Earth to save his friend. As he approaches the planet, his ship runs in to some technical difficulties. Crash landing on Earth, pieces of the ship are scattered across 70 levels in three unique areas. It is here players set out to find the missing parts of Spidy’s ship and save Virigi.

Read More

“So, you guys wanna…play my game?” Mark of the Ninja Lead Designer Nels Anderson asks in a playful voice, his brow raising inquisitively and his hips swinging side to side in rhythm with the last three words of his question. It makes for a silly little dance that the XBLAFans crew gathered around him can’t help but laugh at. We’re about to play a stealth game tucked inside the walls of the Indie Megabooth here at PAX East, but Anderson, with his improv dance move, doesn’t exactly come off as sly.

No, Anderson can’t or won’t bring himself to be sneaky about Mark of the Ninja: Special Edition. His excitement over having us play his latest creation is such that he’s not going to follow in the silent footsteps of the game’s titular ninja. So he doesn’t lurk back in Klei’s personal Indie Megabooth crevice; he’s energetic, and it’s not long before he puts a controller in my hands. Now our attention turns to the screen where all of the requisite sneaking will be performed.

Whereas its contemporaries have tended to make the ninja into an action hero who’s so far over the top that he’d likely make the cast of The Expendables blush, Mark of the Ninja has always emphasized the ninja as a virtually unseen agent of death and/or stealthy sabotage. Whether approaching levels as a killer who isn’t detected until its too late or an infiltrator who isn’t detected at all, players had to stick to the shadows and remain as invisible as possible in order to achieve any kind of measure of success. It was a great system, but one that meant enemies presented but two choices: players could kill them or avoid them. Mark of the Ninja: Special Edition adds another option to the mix.

Read More

It’s been exactly one year since RedLynx’s smash it Trials Evolution hit the digital store shelves. The game was released to universal acclaim. Our own review gushed …
Read More

Note: Spoilers for the first episode of The Walking Dead follow — read on at your own risk if you haven’t played through the game’s demo episode (available for …
Read More

• Microsoft recently sold its Mediaroom and the IPTV service to Ericsson. According the the press release the sale “allows Microsoft to commit 100 percent of its focus on …
  Read More

You know what was awesome? The 80’s. But not in the way you might think — no, they were awesome in a ‘cheese factor’ sort of way. Everything about …
Read More

Fans of Twisted Pixel games can now purchase their first four releases as a bundle. The Maw, Splosion Man, Ms. Splosion Man, and Comic Jumper are all included for a mere 800 …
Read More

Motocross Madness was developed by Bongfish Games and published by Microsoft Studios. It was released April 10, 2013 for 800 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

Excitebike 64. Motocross Madness 2. MX Unleashed. These were the games that defined what a great 3D dirtbike should be. Each gave you the feeling that you could compete with the likes of Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Carmichael. They immersed players with their perfect blend of arcade-meets-simulation gameplay. With their tight control scheme and interesting courses they brought a semi-niche genre to the forefront and gave players the opportunity to soar like eagles while performing a Cordova.

With Motocross Madness Bongfish Games and Microsoft Studios seek to provide those same thrills and a fluffy, avatar-filled world. The result is an interesting take on an established formula. The game feels social, with a large portion dedicated to local and online play. Exploration of the open worlds is encouraged, and collectables entice players to return for more. And the draw of earning new avatar awards and playing using your existing avatar is always enticing. That being said, this avatar racer isn’t without flaws.

Read More

If Mars: War Logs could be summarized with one word, that word would be ‘ambitious’. With each new bit of news we learn that this game is looking to …
Read More