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Welcome to XBLIG Fridays! What happened last week, you (probably didn't) ask? I got lazy… but, I also found a bunch of cool Xbox Indie games to write about that have come out recently! Look out for them and the snazzy new blue bar that Indie Games get on Xbox nowadays in the upcoming weeks!
Glow Arcade Racer is another Indie Game with a pretty telling name. This little game is an arcade racing game through and through: There's no story, and no hassle of trying to figure out what's going on… you simple race. The controls are very simple, as well, and even two methods of control you can choose: There's the normal method that has acceleration to the Right Trigger button, turning to the Analog Stick, and shooting items to the A Button, and the simple method that maps turning and acceleration to the Analog, making it a bit easier to turn.
Glow starts off by giving you one track to race on. Get first place on that track, and you can unlock another track to race on. This cycle, of course, keeps going; eventually, you'll unlock new circuits to play through and new items to decimate your opponents with. The items range from speed boosts to bouncing bombs to mines, and they are all a blast to use… but be careful, since you can activate your own traps and ruin your lead! The difficulty also takes a big spike throughout the game. While you might whizz past the competition in the first few maps, the hard turns and obstacles make sure that winning streak isn't going to last long.
One thing that really make Glow stand out is the graphics. It's like playing a game on a mix between a mix of an old arcade cabinet and a neon light creation: It's bright, colorful, and invokes a bit of adreneline when playing. While one might think the colors would look garish, don't fear… since the tracks are mainly consisting of bright square dots against a black background, the result is more soothing to the eye than you might imagine. The music, on the other hand, is unobtrusive, and the sound effects are fitting, but neither are really noteworthy.
Screenshots can't really show how hectic this game can be.
Glow Arcade Racer can bring nostalgic feelings of racing games long past; those games that didn't care about elaborate racing stories or upgrading your car's horsepower. It's pure, simple fun, and with four player multiplayer, it'll be easy for friends to join in on the action.
Interested? Glow Arcade Racer is 80 MS Points ($1), and you can check it out here.
Got an Indie Game that needs some tender loving care (and attention)? Post it in the comments, and you'll get credit for the find, too!