XBLI Trial Rundown – 10/8/09

Originally posted at http://www.xbli.net/2009/10/xbli-trial-rundown-10609.html

Arkedo Series – 01 JUMP! JUMP! is not a long game. Its 30 platforming levels can be completed in about an hour or two. But that’s not the point – despite its length, JUMP! is everything that’s right about Indie games. The polish and charm are both so far beyond most of what’s available on XBLI it’s staggering. Sure, you could argue it’s so refined because there’s not a ton of variety in level design or enemies, but that’s exactly the kind of thing Indie gamers are going to let slide.
JUMP! is bright and colorful, it offers pitch-perfect controls, plus a ton of retro game references and off-beat jokes. It has style through and through, and it looks and plays like something Capcom, Konami, or even Nintendo would release. Again, maybe it doesn’t last as long as a Mario and maybe it doesn’t have as much variety as Megaman, but it’s a small-time game that costs $3.

This is the way to make small budget games. They shouldn’t be overly complex or provide hours of content (unless you can genuinely pull it off), instead developers should polish and perfect a small and simple game. Filling it with charming artwork and little touches doesn’t hurt either. If JUMP! isn’t enough proof that this method works than look to ‘Splosion Man – it’s basically the same idea.

Food for thought for XBLI developers aside, JUMP! is awesome – get it! (240pts)

Slingstar
Gameplay twists seem to come in waves on XBLI, and Slingstar’s might be the next big thing. The idea is to attack not with your guns, Geometry Wars-style, but with two satellites tethered to your sides. Your movements toss each satellite around like a flail, colliding with a variety of bizarre enemies. It’s not the most intuitive form of combat, but it is original and the swinging feels right. Slingstar might not click with you, but if it does you’ll be in for a pretty unique title that’ll feel like a vacation from the scores of twin-stick shooters on XBLI. (80pts)

NINJA BROS. ??????? NINJA BROS. adds further evidence that the developers of NINJA TRAIN can make some damn fine games, and make them about ninjas. This is a more substantial offering compared to the so-quick-it’s-awesome NINJA TRAIN, but it brings it’s own unique gameplay flourishes. You control a ninja who can only run left and right, jump, and duck. That would be boring, except you actually play as up to four ninjas at once, each in their own micro-level on the screen. Pressing left and right moves all your ninjas simultaneouly, while each ninja is color-coded to jump at the press of its corresponding button. It’s a brain-melting platforming/puzzle game with one of the most unique ideas to come out of XBLI in a while, but some control issues hold it back from the Game of the Week crown. (80pts)

Fields Reloaded If you’re familiar with the original Fields, released back when XBLI was known as Community Games, two things should spring to mind with Fields Reloaded – one, the hip-hop/gangster premise is an insane departure, and two, this is actually a pretty decent iteration on the original. Fields Reloaded is a scrolling shooter where your main weapon is a bubble that slows time. The game is full of weirdness that suggests an amateur effort, but it still manages to be pretty enjoyable. Third times a charm though, and while Fields Reloaded has some rough edges, Fields Revolutions will probably be goddamn awesome. (80pts)

Rail Gun Charlie If Rail Gun Charlie was trying to pay homage to the bizarre visual style of Space Giraffe, it has succeeded brilliantly. The game is a trippy mix of twin-stick shooter and space sim, with your movement confined to a 2D plane while you can shoot in 3D. It’s a weird combination, but it allows for brisk movement while at the same time challenging your aiming ability. The idea is to protect friendlies from capture while defeating all the enemies. While the game could probably use some more polish in graphics and controls, the overall package is incredibly odd and charming. (240pts)

XCross XCross is a competent take on the popular game Picross. It’s a little bit Minesweeper, a little bit Sodoku, and pretty damn challenging. I’ll admit I was quickly perplexed by the so-called “easy” levels. Despite my confusion, I have to admit that Picross is a pretty beloved game and this version does it justice. It even has avatar support and a soothing soundtrack. (240pts)

Paint Boll (80pts) – Paint Boll is that game Combat for the Atari – you know, the pack-in game from 1977. The only difference is that Paint Boll is actually a lot worse.

Galactic Escape (240pts) – Galactic Escape offers an extreme juxtaposition of polished aesthetics and gameplay that just falls flat. It’s one of those jet propulsion games but you play it in a pitch-black maze with a flashlight. Imagine gaming’s equivalent of threading a needle.

SpiderEvader (80pts) – There’s a cool concept hidden within SpiderEvader – by occasionally blinding you the game forces you to rely on sound to progress. It’s too bad the game seems way more focused on superficial scares to sway your purchase decision.

RadRiverRun (240pts) – RadRiverRacing isn’t an exciting, out-of-control romp down a raging river. It’s just a balloon collecting game with infuriating controls.

Alien Encounters (240pts) – Alien Encounters is a casualty of over-ambitious game design on a small scale. It’s impressive in the context of garage game design, but examined as a game that is sold for money through a professional channel it’s laughable.

PushCrates (240pts) – Videogames combine several art mediums and an element of interaction. While sometimes one medium will suffer at the expense of another, no game should be so lacking in visual artistry as PushCrates. The look of the game is completely utilitarian, designed with the barest minimum of effort to showcase gameplay that’s obvious and uninteresting.

SummerVacation (80pts) – XBLI games always seem to come in pairs, so here’s your other crate pushing game for the week. It’s too bad that this one from the creator of the excellent GREEN ISLAND is marred by awful controls and visuals.

D-Cypher D-Cypher could appeal to people who enjoy logic puzzles but it’s hard to imagine someone losing an afternoon to endless code-cracking. The game needs another hook to go from competent-but-dull to truly engaging. (80pts)

Alien Pyramid Challenge! (80pts) – If you feel that games like Johnny Platform’s Biscuit Romp or A Fading Melody are more than competent, by-the-book platformers that don’t hold a candle to the classics, then by all means give Alien Pyramid Challenge! a shot. These kinds of platformers aren’t awful, but their world and controls are far too rigid and static.

Tarot (240pts)
Pumpkin Carver (80pts)
The Visualizer (80pts)