XBLA Primer: Twisted Pixel
XBLA Primer is where we catalog XBLA games from a certain developer and give you the 411 on all their games. We also tap a little into their backstory and why they make great XBLA games
Michael Wilford and co. said that their new studio would focus on the digital market and XBLA was something they always thought would take off. Now with over four XBLA titles under their belt and being acquired by Microsoft, we thought we’d bring you a little list of some of their titles to bring you up on Twisted Pixel’s wackiness in the XBLA game market.
The Maw – 800 MSP
The moment TP came out of the door, they brought us Frank and the creature we now know as The Maw which proved to be lovable and crazy from the start. As Frank, you controlled the Maw who would eat anything to create powers sort of similar to Yoshi. The only difference is Yoshi is a dinosaur and the Maw is a crazy alien with gigantic teeth. While not a super-long game, it did show how much character and attention to detail TP have for their games.
‘Splosion Man – 800 MSP
The game that would make TP’s mark on the digital realm. It had one simple mechanic that only required one button: explode or “‘splode” and people fell in love with it. It was ranked highly amongst some of the best games that came out in 2009 and would solidify TP as a developer to take notice. It was brimming with character, jokes with references to pop culture TV shows, scientists turning into meat and a song about donuts because everybody loves donuts. Lord knows you do?
Comic Jumper – 800 MSP
Comic Jumper’s interesting since there’s a bit of a mixed reaction to this game. Most of the staffers at XBLAFans either like it or dislike it and there’s points to both arguments. As the game begins, you play the hero Captain Smiley who’s actually bankrupt since his comic isn’t selling well. This leads to him jumping into different comics of different eras from manga to educational to Norse mythology. The controls might have been a little off and it has some pretty cheap deaths but it has a great storyline filled with humor and poking fun with the Star on Captain Smiley’s chest making rude comments along the way.
Ms. Splosion Man – 800 MSP
After branching out to run-and-gun for their last title, Twisted Pixel thought of coming back to the platform realm not to make a sequel to ‘Splosion Man but an entirely new character, Ms. Splosion Man. After kidnapping ‘Splosion Man, the scientists celebrate but in their best efforts, accidentally create Ms. Splosion Man and goes on a rampage just as much as the male equivalent. With improved overworld, crazy new level structures and Beyonce lyrics add a great flavor to the already tried-and-true sploding mechanics.
The future
After being bought by Microsoft, they’ll be exclusively making games for Microsoft from here on. Who knows if they’ll be reaching to the retail space after the much-loved The Gunstringer (which started out as an XBLA title) or staying true to their digital roots but here’s hoping so. They’re a studio who seem keen on creating great characters and worlds that feel not only out of this world but extremely memorable too. Here’s out to Michael Wilford and the wonderful employees at Twisted Pixel from your friends at XBLAFans!