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Either I’m feeling too generous or today was actually a decent day for XBLI. Check it out:
sbdm-1
Of all the input devices in the world, I can’t imagine anything worse than a gamepad for this kind of app. sbdm-1 is a music sequencer, allowing you to loop various sound samples in an arrangement. It’s the kind of thing that works best when you have the actual machine in front of you, or a mouse, or a touch screen. Although sbdm-1 does a good job of what it sets out to do, it really has no business on an Xbox 360. (240pts)
Megalopolis
The fatal flaw of Megalopolis is that it’s restricted to the default 8-minute trial time. Any reasonably complex strategy game is going to take more than 8 minutes to full appreciate, and this game is no different. Through the first three or four trial attempts I struggled, assuming the game was supposed to be a tough lesson in deforestation, pollution, and natural disasters. It turns out that once you learn to balance your resources, that the game is actually fun and manageable. Megalopolis offers fast-paced and simple city-building strategy that you could lose hours to (as long as you buy it, or have the patience to replay its trial). (400pts)
Contagion
Contagion is a strategy/management game wrapped up in a really interesting premise. The game focuses on the Hermetic Principle of Correspondence, an ancient theory that states that all systems in the universe mirror each other, whether it’s the day-to-day of a single cell or an entire galaxy. It’s enough to kill an afternoon on Wikipedia, but its translation in the game is a little less interesting. Your goal is to power machines using a spore that generates electricity. Once planted it begins to grow out of control, forcing you to balance containment and power to the machines. Unfortunately, some unnecessarily bad controls do a lot to hamper your progress and strip away the fun. (240pts)
The Last Cannonball
The Last Cannonball is basically a 360 version of that iPhone game where you launch a ball and hope it bounces off of things so that it goes further. Hope is the key word here, there’s really no good way to predict what’s going to happen. Top that off with poor production value and you’ve got a game with nothing to offer. (80pts)
Pentominon
Pentominon is a puzzle game that offers a reasonably slick presentation in the tradition of Lumines. At first glance, it plays like Tetris with different shapes. It’s also pretty much Tetris at second, third, and fourth glances, but there’s a twist that’s necessary for high scores. The game isn’t really about making lines, but about creating and maintaining a very tricky arrangement: a single, free-floating square with no other shapes touching it. This isn’t your typical, pick-up-and-play puzzle game – it’s squarely aimed at the more methodical player. It’s not for everyone, and it has some issues (action near the top of the screen is too confusing), but overall it’s a decent puzzle game. (240pts)
Wacky Water Fun
Wacky Water Fun is a competent carnival game for a dollar. You’re tasked with shooting water balloons at targets in order to reach a goal score. Each time a goal score is met, you move on to the next level. Although some may be curious to see where Wacky Water Fun goes after the trial limit, most players will get their fill within a few minutes. This game would have been a worthy purchase if it had offered a little more to do. (80pts)