Reviews written by jigsawhc

I'm having a great time playing Awesomenauts. Reviewed if for VGrevolutions.com at http://www.vgrevolution.com/2012/05/awesomenauts-review/

"I love that there are developers like Romino Games stuff like Awesomenauts. They combined 2D platforming with a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) in a way that works really well. There is enough strategy that playing smart can offset a lack of platforming skill, but those double-jumping kings can hold their own as well. While many of the traditional MOBA elements are present like turrets, creeps and bases you don’t have to worry about things like lane control so much. Because of the fast paced nature of the 2D platforming you can easily move between the top and bottom lanes as needed. The matches play 3 vs 3 and can have as many bots as needed to fill the room. There is drop in/out play so you never have to wait for your friends to finish a match to start playing with them..."

I do enjoy a good co-op hack-n-slash from time to time. However, I find Fable Heroes somewhat shallow and disappointing. It is not that the game is bad, but it just could be better. You start off with four playable characters available. Each of these has a different attack type and behaves a little differently, but for all of them I found the controls felt a little sluggish. Actually, the controls might have been ok but the whole game feels just a little slow. Once I got use to the speed of the game I still struggled a little with the camera angle and movement at times. The camera moves based on where you and the enemies are. Sometimes this works fine but others it will have one enemy off screen that you can’t see. Or, you’ll get lost in the crowded group in the middle of the screen.

You have just a quick attack, flourish attack and an area attack available and then a roll/dodge move. Frankly the flourish attack is too slow to be worth using. You’ll spend the whole game hammering the light attach button until you get surrounded and then hit the area attack. Frankly, after a few levels this gets boring. If you are playing co-op with friends it can be fun a few more rounds as you goof off together, but not much.

At the end of each level you get the chance to upgrade your character. Only you don’t get to pick which upgrade you want. You randomly get an upgrade offered to you. If you have enough money and your character has unlocked that upgrade option then you can buy it. If not then you have to bank your money and hope for better luck next time. This is lame and possibly one of the worst upgrade systems I’ve seen in a game ever. Getting permanent upgrades for your characters should be a fun and exciting thing. Not frustrating.

If you have kids you want to coop with or you are a huge Fable fan then check out Fable Heroes. Otherwise skip it.

I had a mixed experience playing Deep Black this week. There are moments while I was playing where I would have given the game an 8.5 or even 9 out of 10. But there were a few spots (mainly boss fights) that nearly made me give the game a score of a 6. So, I settled for something in the middle. Deep Black is an arcade shooter with both multiplayer and a single player campaign. I did not know a lot about the game before I sat down and started playing other than it was a shooter. I was surprised to find both game modes in a $10 game. Yes, it is just the first half of the overall story (Episode 2 will finish the story later this summer) but still there is a lot of content in there.

The game splits time fairly evenly between sections below water and parts on ground. In any given level you will probably move between the two a few times. I was initially worried about the underwater sections because your view is slightly obscured by the water. After a few minutes I found this was not an issue. Even though you cannot see as far under water as above ground the levels are setup on a way that this does not cause an issue. Enemies tend to have lights on them and the underwater sections are generally laid out with passages that are small enough that you can see across the area you are in. Some of the best moments actually occur under water in the game. While you are underwater you can use a harpoon to drag guys from above ground into the water to stab them. I know it is a little thing but it was fun every time I did it. Yet, I’m not sure how the enemies I stab underwater can then release a death scream. Shouldn’t it just be some bubbles? Anyway, moving on.

I had a lot of fun with some of the weapons in the game as well. There is your standard assault rifle and shotgun early on, but once you get the stun gun and commando riffle things get interesting. Each weapon has an alternate fire. Some of these behave differently underwater as well. Watching a large group of enemies coming at you, and then stunning all of them at once with the stun gun’s alt fire never got old for me. The only gun I found a bit frustrating was the sniper. You hit the Left Trigger to zoom in and then the right bumper to hold your breath before shooting. In an arcade shooter it seems like it would make more sense for the whole breath holding mechanic to be left out. Just keep the gun steady like all the other weapons.

So, while overall things were fun there were a couple areas that I found consistently frustrating. First, to use your harpoon gun you first need to lock on to a target with the Left Trigger. For targets underwater that are moving quickly (which is most of the ones you want to harpoon) you need to hold the trigger and while holding it tap the left bumper. I don’t know anyone who uses an Xbox controller with 2 fingers on it like this. I got ok at it by the end, but it was really annoying to have to fight with the controller every time I wanted to harpoon anything.

The other major frustration I had was with how quickly I would die. There is no health bar but as you get hurt more and more red is shown on the screen. Once you stop taking damage your health regenerates. This would work fine except that enemies can shoot through cover at times. Many times I’d be behind cover and the enemies were still somehow hitting me with their shots. The game shows little sparks where bullets are hitting cover around you and I would see those. Then the next shots would show the cover getting hit but I would still be taking damage. In some cases I saw the enemies’ shots going through items that that were half way between me and the enemy. Items like solid metal crates. I died way too often because of this. For normal enemies I could just back up a little further or go back around a corner. But, for the boss fights that did not work. In those you are trapped in a room with a large enemy who fires as fast as they can and has a quick reload time. For all 3 of the large robot boss fights I must have died over a dozen times. In each case I had to find the one spot in the area where I can take cover and not get hit, and then just sit there and take pot shots at the enemy when I could. Not fun.

I also spent some times playing the multiplayer and I found the levels really fun as they have both water and land sections. Under water it is harder for enemies to spot you but you also cannot see as well. On land you can see much better but you also don’t have that natural cover of the water. Both in the water and on ground you can take cover and wait for enemies, but since the matches are 4 vs 4 I found that to be a bit dull. Once I started to learn the maps I was having good luck patrolling the bottom of the water and picking off enemies as they jumped in the water. Was it a cheap tactic? Maybe, but I’m sure it is one that many people will try. The only issue is that at the bottom of the water you don’t have a lot of cover to work with. So, anyone who flanks you has an open shot at your back when you are distracted. For an arcade shooter the multiplayer has a level of strategy that I really enjoyed.

I completed the story in somewhere around five and a half hours. Was it the best shooter ever? No, but it was still fun overall and I look forward to playing Episode 2 when it releases. In the meantime I’m going to go try and harpoon some guys in multiplayer.

Fez is a tough game to explain let alone review. For the most it is an absolute blast to play, but there are times when I was stuck on a tough puzzle for way too long. At its core Fez is a 2D platformer. Except that you play in a 3D world. As you travel the world you can rotate the viewing angle by 90 degrees at a time. At first this can be disorienting, but after a while it just clicks and you start to “see” the game world as a whole. Jumps that may not be possible on one side of the screen can be done easily once you rotate to the correct perspective. From start to finish you will have to use this game mechanic to get through every room of the game. It actually reminded me of the first time I played Portal when I started playing Fez. At first the change in perspective was confusing but after a few areas it just clicked and the game’s core mechanic became a lot of fun.

In addition the challenge of just getting around you also need to collect cubes and pieces of cubes as you go. These cubes allow access to later parts of the game world and to ultimately complete the game. That in itself is both fun and challenging, but on top of this you have a metroidvania style world where each area in the game connect to others.. and others.. and others. Fortunately, there is a really nicely done 3D map you can access at any time that shows your location, all the places you have been and the others you have found but not accessed. The map also shows if you have found all the secrets and completed all the puzzles in any given room.

So, you’re exploring a massive world and picking up all of the cube piece you can find. That is still just part of the game. Many of the rooms you come across have puzzles or secrets to decipher and complete. Some are physics based where you need to move objects around to complete a puzzle. Others you need to translate the diagrams and maps to complete a specific control combination. To do this you first will need to figure out and translate the language of Fez which has its own alphabet, numbering system and control naming system. There are hints early on as to some of the different numbers and letters. As you piece more and more together you can go back and complete more of the secrets you had to skip early on.

Fez has a bright fun graphical style in most areas of the game. A few rooms you find have specific color pallet changes, but these fit the game’s world and look really good. The soundtrack and effects are really great for the charming world of Fez. I have to admit I was a little worried before starting Fez that I would not enjoy it. I am not generally a fan of platformers as I have trouble with jumping puzzles. Fortunately for me there were very few times where the jumps in the platforming were hard to make in Fez; assuming I has worked out the best side of the world to make the jump from. Plus the platform landing is pretty forgiving as you can grab the edge and pull yourself up if you need to.

While there have been some puzzles that had me frustratingly stumped for the most part that was not the case. Although, it is a little weird to play a game with a notebook next to me that I need to reference regularly for my translations of Fez's alphabet and numbers. It would have been nice if they included an in-game way to keep the translations so that I can reference them as needed once I figured it out. Still, Fez is an absolute blast overall. I would highly recommend checking it out. At $10 it is a great deal. Just be ready to do some thinking when you play.

I have to admit that physics based puzzlers are not normally my kind of game. I just don’t normally have the coordination and timing to play them well. So, I am pleasantly surprised with how much fun The Splatters is to play. The levels progress in difficulty but at a pace that allows you to learn and pick up some tricks along the way. I have about two-thirds of the levels completed so far and while the last ones are proving more challenging I am, and to continue, working through them without getting frustrated. Partially, because you can replay just the section of a level you a currently on as many times as need, and also because there are 2 or 3 levels unlocked to play at any given time. So you never have just one level you have to win to continue.

But let me backup. The Splatters is a pretty unique concept for a game. You play as globs of goo that are part of a show. The goal is so splatter the goo blobs so that they splash over bombs of the same color and cause them to pop. The more creative and unique the path the goo takes and the splattering the more points you get. The controls are pretty simple with just a few options and moved. Yet, combining the moves into different combinations and utilizing the environment allows for numerous ways to complete each level.

Each level has its own leaderboard both globally and for your friends. So, not only are you trying to get 3 gold stars on each level but you also have that desire to show up your friends. In addition to the leaderboard there is Splatter TV. After each level you can save a full video of your run to Splatter TV with just 1 click. I’m not one who generally watches other people’s gameplay videos, but I keep finding myself going back to Splatter TV to see how the top players got their scores. Not only do you get some tips for that specific level, but also you can pick up some strategies for improving your gameplay overall. I am regularly surprised by the paths that other players take to complete levels and get their scores. They are performing tricks I had not even thought of in their runs, but that once I start trying can be worked into my style pretty easily.

Launching goo blobs around the screen with little smiley faces on them is remarkably fun. I am sure there will be a hardcore community around the game that gets some astounding scores in the weeks to come. That will not be me, but that doesn’t mean I will not keep playing. I fulyl intend to complete every level and then go back and dominate my friends list. Making The Splatters even better is the fact that my son can watch me play and have fun too. Every time I send goo splattering across the screen he finds it hilarious. If you like action puzzle games be sure to check out The Splatters, but even if you don’t the demo is still worth giving a try. Like me, you may end up finding yourself having a good time with The Splatters simple concept and smooth controls.

I’ve started playing Anomaly Warzone Earth in the past on both my PC (Steam) and my Xoom. In both cases I got part way through and then got side tracked and never finished it. It is not that I was not enjoying the game but I just don’t play games that much on either platform. So, I was pretty excited to play Anomaly Warzone Earth on the Xbox with a controller in hand. If you have not tried it on another platform the gameplay is pretty unique. It is almost the reverse of a tower defense game where you are the guys walking through the turrets. Only, you can only control a single character, the Commander, and you have the ability to change the course of the troops under your command as needed.

As the Commander you are responsible not just for picking the route for your troops, but also repairing them, calling in air strikes, using decoys, setting up smoke screens and picking up supply drops. You also get to choose your squad of troops and what order they are in. While that may seem like a lot of things to do you rarely are trying to do them all at once. When you need to change the route or your convoy’s order the gameplay pauses while you do so. So, you can focus on the action while it is happening, and not have to worry about dying when you are working on your tactics.

The Xbox Live Arcade version adds some new levels, but even without them I’d recommend playing this version over the others. Instead of a click to move system you actually have direct control of your Commander’s movements. While for some this may not be a big deal I found I greatly prefer it. The graphics look really nice on the Xbox 360, and while the voice acting is not the best I’ve heard the sound overall fits the game well.

I have been really enjoying playing through Anomaly Warzone Earth on XBLA. The levels start of fairly linear, but get quite challenging as you progress. Fortunately, you also get additional troop options and the Commander’s abilities as you progress to help. While I did not beat every level on the first try I was not frustrated when I did lose a level. In every case it came down to me making a bad decision in either the path I chose or using the wrong ability at the wrong time.

If you are a fan of problem solving and strategic games then I’d highly recommend picking up Anomaly Warzone Earth. While I personally will probably not ever beat the whole game in the harder difficulties they are there for those of you who want that extra challenge - and are smarter than me :) At $10 there is a lot of content to keep you busy for quite some time.

It is not very often that Xbox Live Arcade gets a platformer where you don’t have direct control over your character. In Puddle instead of controlling the liquid on screen you control the angle of the screen itself. Use gravity and momentum to traverse the levels you have to preserve enough liquids until the end. This lack of direct control takes quite a bit of getting used to. Even the first couple levels of the game I failed a few times until I finally started getting the hang of things. However, I never really got completely use to playing like this. The controls are easy enough; the triggers tilt the screen and that all you can do. This play style works ok on some levels but as this is a platformer there are times when you need to make fairly precise timed jumps and since you have to reply on gravity it can be quite difficult. I played a lot of the time with my 5 year old watching and he got a kick out of seeing the count of my attempts going up each time I failed.

While the game is fairly difficult there are a couple things that have been put in place to help gamers out. First, you have to skips you can use at any point in the game if you get stuck. Once you use both of them though you’ll have to go back and beat one of those levels if you want to use a skip for a later level. Second, the levels with the more difficult jumps and timing puzzles tend to be shorter overall. So, you don’t have a long level that ends with a really hard jump. While I do appreciate that, in a lot of levels I felt like the level of fluid needed to complete could have been lowered and still not been overly easy. On the time based levels at least I found I generally had plenty of time to complete everything.

The “story” of the game actually was pretty fun. There is no dialog, but each level’s finish leads into the start of the next one. Between level sections the fluid you are using gets transformed to what is needed for the next levels. You start with water and as you finish the first sections it gets turned into fertilizer which ties into environmental based challenges in the second section. This goes on as the fluid turns into nitroglycerin, back into water, etc. This process allows for diffing mechanics to be added while keeping in one continuous story. I appreciated that continuity because the developers could easily have just had a list of levels for you to complete, but instead took the time to polish the way everything works together.

The one thing I don’t get is why this is on Xbox Live Arcade and not Android/iOS. The controls would work perfectly on a tablet. Still, if you like platformers but want something a little different Puddle is worth checking out. However, be prepared to try levels over and over as you fight with mastering the gravity and inertia based movement.

Like Hypership Out of Control this is a challenging game. However, like its predecessor I am having a lot of fun playing it. The game play is pretty strait forward. Your ships brakes are out again so the longer you fly the faster you get. Dodge or shoot any obstacles while trying to grab coins and power-ups. For gamers with quick reflex the is a score based system, but personally I'm happy just trying to complete all 10 waves in one sitting. In addition to the normal game mode there are some harder options available if you really like to torture yourself. The game keeps the retro style while still looking nice.

I know I'll probably never get anywhere near a high score but still the challenge of just beating the game keeps me coming back for more. The practice mode lets me try the waves that give me the most trouble so I can find the best path through, nd since it is not overly long it is fun to play while waiting for friends to get online for Battlefield 3. The co-op is a lot of fun and helps reduce the difficulty as it lets you revive each other when someone dies.

I would recommend grabbing the demo and trying out Hypership Still Out of Control for yourself. Even for those gamers, like me, who will not be making the top of the leaderboard it is still a lot of fun to try.

I decided to check Almost Total Mayhem out based on Stickler's review, but I did not find it as great as he did. The art style is fun, but at times it can be hard to tell what is going on as it is very fast paced. The game play is pretty simple with only a few controls so the focus can be on strategy and working with a teammate, but playing with an AI teammate was not that great. They never seem to be where I am even when I was carrying the bomb. Playing against another human is better than playing the AI, but even then it did not hold my interest after a couple matches.

I was pleasantly surprised with All Your Creeps. I was not expecting it to be quite as fast pace as it is, but the speed of the matches leads to some chaotic battles which is really fun. You can play as either the the defending "Comrades" or the attacking "Pigs". The graphics are pretty good but I did find that the towers are fairly similar looking so at times it was hard to tell what you already have placed. But, since the matches are only about 5 minutes it is not a huge deal.

I did find the enemy AI to be a little on the easy side since I think I won every match after the first one. There is no tutorial so you just jump in and learn as you go. The controls are pretty simple with works will since you are moving around the map setting down troops fairly quickly. Against the computer I found that just rotating through the 4 turret types and placing them as quickly as you have the funds worked pretty well. For the attacking though you do have to use some strategy about how you want to send your troops in and in what order. Otherwise they just get picked off one after another.

Where this game really shines is playing with against a friend. Since the can easily adapt to simple strategies you have to really think about the best way to attack or defend. You can also play cooperatively if you choose but unless you are trying to reach someone how to play I found it more fun to play against someone that with them.

If you like strategy games and have someone to play with I would recommend checking out All Your Creeps.

I'm not a big platformer fan. Mostly because I generally suck at them. So, I was a little worried when I heard that MagicalTimeBean was making a platformer. I love Soulcaster and Soulcaster II so I decided I would play Escape Goat despite my concerns. I'm glad I did because the platforming was forgiving enough that I was able to beat most of the levels within a few tries. Sure, later on the levels get harder and take more effort, but I never felt like my skill was keeping me from progressing completely.

Beyond the normal ability to jump (and double-jump) you have a dash ability. This really helps if you have the height for the jump but not the distance. Just hit the dash and shoot on over to that platform. Saved me a number of times. While this is a single player game you are not alone in your in-game travels. Early on you get a mouse friend who can fit into areas smaller than you. You can't directly control him but can pick what direction he goes. On some levels you also get the ability to swap places with him.

The game is broken into 64 rooms that are grouped into areas of 6. Each group has a theme with a unique gameplay aspect or two. This keeps things going and fresh. I especially liked that if I got stuck in one set of rooms I could go back and try another area without loosing your progress in that area. This allowed me to pick of a few levels at a time without getting frustrated.

The story if completely hilarious. I finished the game after just under 3 hours and having dies 292 times. I knew I had died a lot but having a number on it made me realize how many times I would get myself stuck. Still, for $1 an hour this is a really fun game. You can play it in small chunks since each room is just 1 screen that you need to escape from.

These 2 are full of it. This game is 4 way pong essentially and not a very fun version of it at that. The controls are slow to respond at times and the balls will get stuck in corners where they just float around for a while. Skip this. I'm not even wasting time writing a longer review of it.

You guys know by know if you’ve been around the site that I’m a fan of RPGs, especially dungeon crawlers, and tower defense games. So getting a title like Dungeon Defenders where they two genres are merged together with 4 player drop-in co-op seems like it would be the perfect game for me. We’ve been waiting for the Xbox Live Arcade version for almost a year so my hopes were pretty high for the game. Fortunately, it delivers on all of the different aspects of the game so well.

There are four characters available to play in Dungeon Defenders and you can have 2 of each in your character list if you want. Personally 1 of each is more than enough for me but it is nice to have the option. The Apprentice is your magic casting class. They can place turret style towers that shoot magic, fireballs or lightning. They only have one defensive wall that can block off choke points but backing it up with some turrets works well in a pinch. The Squire class is your tank. He can deal and take a ton of damage. His towers are mostly defensive, but their Slice’n Dice spinning tower not only blocks the path but also destroys most enemies. They do have a couple turrets that work for thinning large groups and their harpoon can help with air based units. The Huntress is the ranged fighter. She uses guns and crossbows exclusively. Her towers are all traps that after a set number of uses will then be used up and need replaced. To offset this they also are fairly cheap. The traps work well to kill of groups of enemies in a bottleneck area. The Monk is the only class that has both a melee and ranged attack. His towers are all are of effect bubbles that slow or hurt enemies. They generally will not completely kill them but they soften them up for the other turrets or direct attacks. They also have a Healing Aura tower that is really useful in boss fights or harder difficulties. Each class has unique strengths and weakness, and a 4 player group with any combination of characters can work together to complete a level. This balance makes it a lot of fun since you don’t have to fight over who is going to play which class.

The co-op works flawlessly. You can jump into any open game, search for ones of specific levels or difficulties, or start up your own public or private room. There are no level requirement for co-op. So my level 20 squire can jump into a room with a friend just starting off to help him through the early levels and show him the ropes, or I can find some level 40s playing on Hard and jump in to learn some new strategies. Even though my character is not as powerful I can still help the team by upgrading or repairing towers/traps, and jumping into the more heavily attacked areas and thin the enemies out. The community of gamers playing Dungeon Defenders has been great in my experience. Most of my matches were with random people who happened to be playing the same level I was on. Everyone would communicate on what areas of the map they are covering and what strategies they plan to use. People help each other by repairing and upgrading turrets as needed.

As a dungeon-crawler style RPG the game is great. There is tons of loot to find and upgrade. You also can buy and upgrade a pet. Any equipment or pet that you max out the level of gives you the option to name it. The boss fights and challenge levels give specific weapons and armor based off the class and difficulty you play as so there is incentive to play through each one more than once. The in game currency is mana which is acquired when enemies are killed. You then use it to buy equipment, use special abilities, repair/upgrade your towers and upgrade your stuff. So, you always are looking to use as little mana as possible on towers so you can bank it to use for upgrading your equipment, but if you don’t spend enough then you may not win the level.

On the Tower Defense side there are a lot of options available when you’re playing co-op with 20 different “towers” between the 4 classes there are numerous ways to handle each level. The game runs with a build and combat phase for each wave so you can setup before each one, and you always have info on what enemies are coming next and where they are coming form. There is also a handy mini-map that shows an overhead view of everything. On harder difficulties you’ll definitely need to strategize more to be able to survive all the waves.

As a whole Dungeon Defenders is a great game! It merges 2 game styles beautifully and fans of either on should really enjoy themselves. The game plays great. In all my matches I’ve never had any issues with lag or performance. If you want to get all the achievements you’re going to have to put some time in but that time is going to be a blast.

After playing a little of Orcs Must Die! At E3 2011 I’ve been looking forward to its release. However, now that I’ve actually been playing OMD! For a few days I am finding it to me much deeper and more strategic than I anticipated...and a lot more fun! You really have to combine both using traps and your weapons in a thought out plan to complete each level. In this respect the tower defense elements really shine. Sure, you might make it through a level just throwing up defenses wherever, but if you want to top the friend’s leaderboard or get 5 skulls (the best rank) you’ll need to think a little about how you’re going to set things up. Scoring is based on how many enemies get through your defenses, how many times you die and how long it takes. So kill all the enemies as fast as you can without dying yourself. No problem, right?

Even with strategy being an important of the game it has a light, fun atmosphere that keeps things from getting frustrating. Even the time I completely failed a level I was still enjoying myself. The graphics have a little of a comic/cartoon style that really helps with this. Things are fairly bright and colorful. Additionally, the enemies and your character are pretty funny. As they are attacking they will ask things like “why can’t we be friends” and “can’t we all get along”. While these do repeat pretty frequently I don’t really notice it as I’m too busy trying to build traps and attack enemies.

You start off the game with just a couple traps and your two weapons (crossbow and blade staff), but after each level you unlock an additional trap or item. The traps range from walls that shoot arrows, spikes, ceilings that come crashing down and floors that springboard enemies. You also unlock spell based items that let you throw fireballs, freeze enemies and control wind gusts. Using these in combinations that kill the most orcs is key. For example I like to freeze enemies in front of wall blades so that the blades get extra time to attack the enemies. Fortunately, if you don’t like your traps you can sell them for their full value and buy different ones mid-round.

After completing Act 1 you unlock Weavers which allow you to spend your money on upgrades for your traps and weapons. These upgrades are specific to that round so if you don’t like the upgrade you just purchased for that level you can get a different one the next time. The skulls you earn on each level can be used to buy upgrades for your traps. These carry over between levels so you have to think through which upgrades you want to get as there is no going back once you buy one.

I completely love Orcs Must Die! When you finish a level your character does a little dance while some music plays. That music brings me such a sense of satisfaction knowing that I finished the level. Even after I make it through all of the levels (which there are a lot of) I still will be going back to try and get 5 skulls on each one, and then to try the harder difficulty. For $15 there is a lot of fun to be had in Orcs Must Die! and I would highly recommend giving it a try.

After finding a control scheme that I liked this got a lot better. If you like space shooters definitely check it out. There is a lot to learn so the trial does not give you enough time to get the hang of everything (not the devs fault - that is an XBLIG limitation), but once I did learn more the game was pretty fun.

The menus and map I found to be a little grating graphically but the gameplay graphics were ok.

If you are willing to put some time in there is fun to be had here but it is not a jump in and play kind of game.

Maybe I needed to spend more time with it to unlock stuff but I found myself bored pretty quickly. So, I was not really motivated to keep playing. For me the game quickly became "fly around chasing enemies and hope they turn at an angle so you can gain some ground to shoot them". Part of it was the game seemed slow to me. Maybe you are moving fast and it is a large area, but too me because of the black background and small characters it seemed like you were moving slower than I'd like.

I decided to give this a try based on OtakuDante's review. The game is pretty fun so I'm not going to rehash all his points. I gave it an 8 because I found it hard to keep track of the motorcycle's rotation and the weapon shooting at the same size due to how small the bike is on screen. If it was a little larger then I'd be able to see the bike easier while also aiming the guns.

I'm having fun with this Angry Birds clone like I did with FishCraft. The controls are pretty easy once you get use to them, but at times the camera zooms out when I wish it would not. For $1 it is worth checking out if you like this kind of game.

I don't play a lot of racing or flying games because I'm not very good at them, but occasionally arcade racers (like Blur) will pull me in for a while. SkyDrift is another one of those games. Like Blur or Mario Kart you have power ups to attack the other racers or defend yourself. However, since this is a flying game you have the added element of not just staying on a track but staying within a course area. If you get too far off course the game pulls you back in but for the most part I did not have too much trouble staying on the course. Getting through narrow corridors that is another story.

The controls work simply and well in SkyDrift. You have a couple buttons for controlling attacks, triggers for accelerations and breaking, and then the left thumb stick for controlling the plane. However, you also can rotate the plane with the with thumb stick. This allows you to knife through sharp turns or narrow vertical passageways.

Most of the tracks have multiple paths you can take. If you have the skill to navigate narrow paths without crashing you can take a short cut and even earn some extra boost. However, going through the slightly longer but much wider path generally gives you more chances grab power ups.

The power ups are fairly standard with missiles, machine guns, mines, shock wave, shields and repair packs. The only thing I found myself wanting was a way (like Blur has) to fire offensive power ups backwards. This would help maintain your lead when you are in first. Instead you do have the option to convert your power ups to additional boost which is a nice touch.

Visually the game looks pretty good and each track has its own unique style. There are a few different race types in the game. Personally, I like the survival mode the best but the other modes are fun as well. There are not a ton of tracks but there are races on them in both directions which helps make it seem like there are more tracks.

I'm enjoying pretty much everything about SkyDrift other than even on easy I am having trouble winning some of the races. But that has more to do with my skill than the game. If you like flying or racing games definitely grab the demo and check it out.

I decided to give this a shot since Joakim gave it such high praise. I wish I had not. The only good thing about the game is the concept of mixing the strategy and shooting elements. I can live with bad graphics if the rest of a game is fun but that is not the case here. The rest is really bad too. The controls are clunky and very dated feeling. You use both thumb sticks but not in in the normal 2 stick shooter fashion. Instead the left stick controls forward and back with the right your turning. If this was a top down racer that might be ok but it is not. Also the enemy AI is really poor. They just stand in the same general starting area shooting perfectly aimed shots right at you whether you are behind cover or not.

Just save your time and skip this mess.

I have been having a blast playing Crimson Alliance. I started off playing it solo and while that was fun it really got great when I started playing 3 player co-op. My co-op group had one player for each class and the combinations of our attacks made for some fun move. Personally my favorite is still to have the Wizard free everyone and then shatter them with the Mercenary, but some of the other ones are just as fun. Your character starts off with decent attacks, but by the end you have a highly leveled character that just feels fun to play with.

The campaign itself is not too long. Maybe 4 or 5 hours if you do all the side challenges, but there is a lot of replay value her as each level has its own leaderboard. Plus getting gold on every level for the achievement is going to take some practice :) Fortunately, you can jump to any level once you finish it once to replay it again for more gold, experience and to look for hidden areas you missed. While personally I have the 3 character class pack I like that there is the option to buy just 1 character for the game for $5 less. This got more than one of my friends to play since they were really only interested in one of the classes. So, for $10 or $15 I think there is quite a bit of content.

Each of the characters has similar but unique attacks. There is a dodge, light and heavy attack, a knock back attach, block ability and dash. While these basics are the same the execution is unique. For the Mercenary it is all about getting in close for melee attacks. The Wizard focuses on casting spells from a distance, and the Assassin gets in and out of combat quickly to stun enemies and then finish them off. Each class also has a unique special ability that fits their main role quite well. For example the Assassin’s slows down time so you can run around even faster finishing off enemies before they can hit you back. While there is some strategy involved this is a good old hack-n-slash at its core. Fortunately there is no mana bar so you can use any ability as much as you want – other than your special ability that has to power up.

I also enjoyed that you are not given a lot of back story at the beginning of the game, but instead they throw you into the action and explain thing as you go along. The graphics remind me of the colorful, and enjoyable, style from Torchlight. Everything is just a little cartoony but not in a way that detracts from the game play.

If you have not already grabbed the demo I would recommend doing so. The game is a complete riot with friends, and with a lot of content it is one you can be playing for quite a while.

The game's graphics are strait Monty Python style with 2D cardboard looking people and hand signs pointing the way. The story is based on Sisyphus who has to push a boulder up hill for all eternity only to have it keep rolling down. In Rock of Ages you got tired of pushing the boulder up hill and decide to use it to get your revenge. You roll the boulder down the mountain and crash it into the castle gate to crush the enemy inside. As you progress through the levels the course you have to follow with the ball gets more complex. As you roll your boulder so does your enemy, who is trying to break into your castle. To help stop them you get some defensive units you can place n the course to knock them off or slow them down. Things like catapults, walls, towers, exploding barrels and elephants can be used in combination to try and stop your enemy's boulder.

Rock of Ages is a hard game for me to review. On one hand I'm having a lot of fun with the Ski-ball mini-game and playing verses against actual opponents. However, on the other hand, playing the single player campaign can be extremely frustrating. This mostly comes from the fact that the campaign levels pretty much become races to see if you can get through the level before the enemy AI. This partially comes from the fact there is no good way to tell which of the defenses you build are being effective against the enemy. There is a small picture-in-picture style window where you can watch the enemy's run, but since you run at the same time it is very hard to watch that and make your own run. It would be better if the game was turn based where you alternate with your opponent. Some of your defenses are attacks you can launch directly at the enemy ball but since you run at the same time they never get used. In a turn based approach you could use these and have much more strategy than just race down as fast as you can. The multiplayer does away with some of the racing as your defenses actually do matter in stopping another human opponent.

If you have a friend or two to play Rock of Ages with then it can be a lot of fun, but just be aware that the strategy elements are hampered in the single player by the fact you need to get down the course faster than the enemy AI. Still, for $10 Rock of Ages is a fun, unique take on tower defense merged with Super Monkey Ball.

I don't know what it was that made me try the trial because it was clearly not the graphics, but I'm glad I did because my some had a lot of fun "helping" me play.

The game play is simple, start in a maze, collect all the coins and then exit. So, it is not as much a puzzle game as it is an exploration game.

Between levels you can spend your coins on upgrades to your speed, magnets (that drag in coins) and the zoom for the camera. None of the mazes are overly hard for an adult but my son had a lot of fun telling me which direction to go and which key to pick up next. He also really enjoyed spending the coins in the store on new colors for the character.

So, if you can ignore the graphics this game is pretty fun for a 4-6 year old to play.

I thought from the trailer I was going to really enjoy the puzzles in Blockt. Sure, the graphics are nothing special but I don't mind that in a good puzzle game. I quickly found out that Blockt is not a game for me. My brain just does not work in a way that can figure out the spacial puzzles without a lot of trial and error.

Part of the issue was I could not find a camera angle/control setup I really liked. With the default isometric view I was moving the wrong direction a lot so I changed it the aligned camera angle. This helped me move the blocks in the directions I intended too but it makes it hard to see how deep the puzzle is. I ended up trying all the various combinations, but never finding just the right setup for me.

Because of this I found myself frustrated not with the difficulty of the puzzles but with making stupid mistakes like rolling right off the edge when I though I had one more square to go. Which makes me wonder why the option to roll of the edge is even there. The levels get plenty difficult without adding the additional difficulty of falling of the sides.

Maye it was because I was doing a lot of trial and error, but I also found the level difficulties to jump around quite a bit. Some levels were really hard and then they would be followed by something easy that I completed the first try.

If you like spatial puzzle games I think Blockt would be worth trying out and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, but for me it became frustrating where I could only play a few levels at a time before I needed to take a break. Mostly I think because I just could not get my head around the movement of the odd shaped stacks I was making.

I love this game! They took everything that was great in Toy Soldiers and brought it back with a ton of new stuff. The core game play remains the same but now you've got barrages, co-op campaign play and survival mode. I had a blast playing co-op through the campaign and was able to play on a harder difficulty due to having a second player in the match. The best part was that one of us could focus on manning a turret while the other spent all their money and then we could switch. This allows us to always be getting extra money for kills and keep everything repaired/upgraded.

The verses mode in TS:CW is great as well. There is a lot of strategy involved since you have to build turrets to take out the units your opponent sends to attack while also trying to drop their turrets and send units they are weakest against. When both players are doing well the matches can be intense.

I really hope there is a ton of DLC for TS:CW because I've already completed the game and have all the achievements. Sure, it is still a lot of fun to play but adding some new levels would be a plus.

I finally got around to playing BloodyCheckers after all the great reviews the last few weeks and I probably had my hopes to high but I was disappointed. The graphics and sound were ok, but not great.

The game play is what really matters and while I did like the game overall it could really have used a good tutorial to explain all the things that are added beyond just the normal checkers stuff. I had traps and spells but it took me a while to figure out why I would want to use them.

If you like checkers but want to try something different then BloodyCheckers is worth checking out. The multiplayer over Live is a nice touch, but be prepared to do some experimenting to figure everything out.

I'm going to have to completely disagree with Chad. This app is lame. They had voice chance options in the original Xbox and they were not put in the 360 because no on liked them. I turned this off after about 3 minutes and deleted it. There is no reason for a voice change "game" like this.

Boulder Dash is possible the very first video game I played as a kid. And I played it a lot. I never completed the game but I spent countless hours playing. So, when I heard there was a remake in the works I was pretty excited. Boulder Dash-XL is a lot of fun to play. They made things easier than the original by not killing you when a diamond falls on your head, but I’m ok with that since I actually can beat levels this time around. Plus, if I want the extra challenge the original game is also included in the $10 price.

In addition to the standard adventure mode there are also Puzzle, Zen and Time Challenge modes to keep things interesting. There are also a ton of levels included and while most can be completed in a few tries the game still has a lot of content. I’ve been playing regularly since it released and still have not completed all of them. The game does a good job of introducing new enemies and mechanics slowly, and then having levels that incorporate the new item get more and more challenging. I like this setup because it lets me master each new thing one at a time verses just throwing them all at me at once.

The one thing I am not really a fan of is the graphical style. The level components themselves look fine but the shiny rocks/crystals that make up the edge of each level are fairly grating after a while. Fortunately, Boulder Dash-XL is great for playing a few levels here and there. The levels are designed well with a nice difficulty progression that always has me feeling challenges without getting overly frustrated.

I also like that I can play Boulder Dash-XL with my son. He loves both watching me and trying to play himself. Although it goes a lot better if he just tells me where to go and I do the actually running. He actually loves telling me where the Exit for each level is. Which comes in handy on some of the larger levels when I get lost. There is an option where you can pause the game and look around with the camera, but I tend not to do that in the moment.

If you like action puzzle games then be sure to check out Boulder Dash-XL. There is a lot of content here for $10 and it is fun for all ages.

Right off the bat I’ve got to admit that my biggest gripe, like many others, with Kill Team is the lack of co-op over Xbox Live. Sure, local co-op can be fun, but I would have gladly paid $5 more for Xbox Live support being added to the co-op. I played the game solo because everyone I play games with is not local to me. Which would not be a big deal except that Kill Team is clearly setup as a co-op game. The levels are really hard solo, and as far as I could see there is not a difficulty setting. Even the menu setup is laid out for 2 players.

Setting aside the lack of Live co-op Kill Team is great. It is basically twin stick shooter controls with a few extra buttons for specials and melee attacks. The camera is a ¾ view most of the time, but it does rotate lower in a few areas. This leads to a few cases where the camera is not quite where you want it but I never had a major problem with it. Being set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe makes it more fun for me as a Dawn of War fan.

Because it is a Warhammer 40,000 game you have tons of enemies coming at you to destroy with powerful weapons. I like this about the gameplay. Even the bosses do not take too long to finish off – assuming you can avoid their attacks and land some shots on them. The levels are fairly lengthy for this style of game at 30 or 40 minutes each, but you are constantly making progress through them so the go by quickly. There is not a lot of strategy in Kill Team. Sure, you need to keep an eye on your special attack meter and power-ups, but otherwise it is just fun mindless orc killing.

Kill Team is the kind of game I love to end the day with. I don’t have to think too hard and I can enjoy the game’s universe and graphics. It may not be for everyone, but if you have a friend who will play couch co-op with you I’d highly recommend checking it out.

OK. Let’s start with the obvious. Bastion is gorgeous! Seriously, if you have not seen the trailer stop reading this and watch it (then come back and finish). However, the amazon atmosphere in the game goes well beyond just looking great. The music is soft most of the time but fits this mystical world nicely. The game is fully narrated and the way that plays out is great. It mixes a play-by-play style with pieces of the background story. There are also some side missions/quests that you can to get even more of the background story. However, these come with a hard fought battle if you want to hear the whole thing. Frankly, it is worth the fight even if it takes a few times to complete them.

When the game starts you’re thrown strait into the world with little background on what is going on. As you work through the first area of the world you learn how to fight, and a little about what is happening in the game world. Both the current story as well as the back story to the game gets told piece by piece as you play with some hints gives if you pay attention. You absolutely need to play Bastion with the volume up so you can hear everything. The way the story comes together towards the end with all the pieces fitting together is some of the best story telling I’ve experienced in a very long time.

The controls and combat are pretty strait forward, but have a lot of options available. You have 2 weapons assigned at any time as well as a special attack. Other than this you have a dodge and block ability. I generally do not like combat systems that require a lot of blocking, but in Bastion it works well and I actually found myself blocking and enjoying trying to time it for a combo each time. There is a wide range of weapons and special attacks to choose from in your arsenal. Once you unlock a weapon by finding it in the game world you can equip it for any mission you choose. Each weapon has five upgrades to apply. However, instead of locking you in to a specific upgrade when you pick it you can go back and change out the upgrades on a weapon to try different upgrade combinations.

In addition to all the weapon options you also have the choice each time you level up as to what passive upgrade you want to apply to your character. Even the difficulty of the game can be customized between each level by invoking different modifiers at the shrine. If the game is too easy you can just add a couple tweaks and make it tougher.

I could probably go on raving about how much fun Bastion is for a couple more paragraphs, but instead I’m going to cut it off here and go start it up again on New Game Plus! When Bastion releases on Xbox Live Arcade tomorrow you owe it to yourself to check it out. It has more polish than a lot of $60 retail titles and a really well told story.

Like the others I'm going with a 9 (and not a full 10) because of the load times. My save game is at 23 hours and 30 minutes having just finished the item to get 100% of everything completed. I would guess 1/4 of that was loading screens.

Otherwise though this game is great. I had a blast playing even with all the loading screens. It is challenging but not to the point of frustration (most of the time). With a nice leveling mechanic that increases the levels of the troops you use. I would highly recommend trying the demo!

I should probably start with a disclaimer. I never finished the Splosion Man. I worked on it a while but I'm just not good at platfomers and eventually gave up. I enjoyed it but it was just to hard for me personally. That out of the way I'm really enjoying Ms Splosion Man. I have not gotten a single par time yet but I've been able to complete every level I tried so far. I think the game is easier because I doubt I got any better. For the hardcore platfomer fan don't worry they still have you covered. On each level you can download ghost runs of the top leaderboard players to race through the levels against. While I may never make the top of the leaderboard myself it is nice to be able to see how others are so I can get better at my game.

Graphically, there is a lot more pink and sparkles this time around but I did not find that too distracting. Most of it is in the menus and load screens. The actual levels of the game are more like the first game in terms of color scheme.

The funniest part of the game to me is listening to Ms Splosion Man as you are working through the levels. She regularly quotes girl pop songs and other pop culture phrases. You do hear the same thing occasionally repeated but I did not notice too much because I was too focused on just trying not to screw up In addition to she talking the animations are fun and playful. Sometimes she will pirouette and other times she ice skates through the levels. These various keep things interesting as you play.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that there is a completely separate co-op campaign to play though as well. If you like platformers I would definitely recommend trying out Ms Splosion Man and I suspect you will be hooked before the demo is over.

Trenched is a great take on a tower defense game where you play as a mobile tower. The waves of enemies come and you shoot the down. Simple but well done. Being from DoubleFine the game is not even a little serious with funny characters and animations.

Th game play is nice because it is an arcade shooter but there is some strategy as you have to level up your Trench and turrets with the scrap you collect form dead enemies.

Playing solo is fine but playing co-op is where this game really shines. The enemies scale to the number of people in the room so you have to have everyone pulling their weight to get a gold medal.

My only complaint is that after beating the game there is a fair amount of grinding required to get all of the achievements. Since the game is fun it is not a huge deal but at least let cut scenes be skipped after you see them the first time.

I like the idea of adding a level mechanic to a galaga clone, but the sound effects and poor graphics really turned me off. It probably did not help that the game froze on me while loading (twice) so I was already a little annoyed when I started playing. Unfortunately it did not get much better once I actually get it started. Load times are really long but I see no reason why when the graphics could be from a Commodore 64.

I'm going to have to disagree with Victor. This game is not fun. It is really bad. Maybe there are people who like platformers so hard you can't finish the second level in under a dozen tries but I'm not one of them. Even if you do like brutally hard ones like this the graphics are still really rough. Not worth downloading.

Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale is a little hard for me to review because while I love playing it there are noticeable glitches from time to time. Let’s start with the good stuff. First off co-op hack-n-slashing is a ton of fun. I played the first 1/3 of the game solo before playing co-op, and now I’m not sure I can go back to playing solo because it is so much more fun co-op. The way the various classes complement each other makes things better together. The co-op takes a second to join the match which occasionally makes you think your game is not working but give it a second and you’ll spawn in. The fact that everyone other than the host can drop in and out is really nice. The story is somewhat generic but I never really cared as the focus for me is cutting down more enemies and looking for better loot.

Because of how much fun it is to play co-op Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale’s glitches do not bother me too much. Most of them don’t have any real effect on the game play. The most common ones I’ve noticed with my Rogue are that arrows sometimes show backwards in the bow (tip at the back) and when I roll the animation will just stop mid roll. Sometimes you’ll get stuck behind a barrel and you have to move around a second to wiggle free. All of these while a little annoying are not a big deal. The ones that get frustrating are when you group gets to a door and it will not open until the room is closed and restarted. Additionally, at one point my whole co-op group lost one of our abilities for the character we were using, and we’ve not been able to get it back. These things are far more frustrating as they break the flow of the game.

Even with these issues I’d still recommend getting Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale if you have some people to play co-op with. It is a fun hack-n-slash game, and there are plenty of enemies to cut down. Each character has very unique abilities so there is a good amount of replay value to check out each one and the campaign is pretty lengthy. It took our group about 12 hours to get through once.

Like past Ishisoft games UpBot Goes Up is really well made and a lot of fun. It also happens to be pretty challenging as you progress into the later levels. However, things start of fairly simply giving you plenty of time to get a hang of the mechanics. In this puzzle game you control robots who try to get across the map to a set location. However, each robot can only move in a certain direction which mean you need to use the robots to push each other around.


The graphics are simple and clean, but also really fitting for the game. They look nice without distracting from the puzzle. With 60 levels across 3 difficulty levels this is helpful as things get pretty hard later on. Even if you are not very good at puzzle games you should take a minute and try the trial. It is a pretty fun and rewarding once you find the solution for a level.

Hedge Wizard is one of the few action puzzle games that does not make me frustrated. Most of the time as levels get harder you have to start getting your timing down perfect. That is not the case in HW. You spell combinations and timing do have to be more precise, but as a wizard you can pause, rewind and fast forward time so if you mess up you can just back things up a little and fix it. This allows the puzzle solving to be the main component of the game without making it annoyingly difficult.

The puzzles start off pretty simply and as you progress new elements, spells and enemies get added to make things more complex. Fortunately it is generally only one new thing at a time being added to what you already know.

The game is pretty funny, in my opinion, with your wizard being too lazy to work himself but wanting all the gold he can get. So you control peasants who have to do all the heavy lifting for you.

If you like puzzle game I'd highly recommend checking out Hedge Wizard. It is just $1 and while there is a little trial and error in some cases the rewind abilities keeps you from having to replay a level from the start just because you make 1 little mistake.

I started playing BumblePig and got about 5 levels in when my son asked to give it a try. It is not most of the afternoon later and I've not been able to get the controller back.

We both are enjoying the way it mixes a vertical shooter with a color matching game. While I found it a bit on the easy side at first the later levels remind me a lot of old school arcade vertical shooters where you need to memorize the enemy patterns to get a high score.

The graphics are simple but bright and colorful. BumblePig clearly does not take itself too seriously as you spend the money you make pollinating plants on new hats for your bee.

This is a great $1 game to spend playing for an afternoon. Especially if you have a kid who wants to "take turns" playing with you.

I'm not really impressed with Bangai-O HD. It is not bad or anything but I just did not find it all that great either. Graphics are ok, but not great. Gameplay to me gets annoying pretty quick.

Zeit² is a pretty fun game but expect a challenge. It definitely takes some getting use to playing with a copy of yourself so expect some learning curve is this is not your regular genre of game. Well worth checking out but probably not for everyone.

I can’t think of any other game franchises that started as a retail title and then have a sequel on Xbox Live Arcade, but that is exactly what happened with Section 8. So, going from a $60 retail title to a $15 arcade game it seems like TimeGate would have to cut back on what all is included in the sequel. Instead they have added a single player campaign and a co-op, horde style, mode called Swarm. It is nice to see them stepping up the level of content while lowering the price.

I’ve played through the whole campaign now as well as quite a bit of the Swarm and Conquests modes, and I’m enjoying it thoroughly. The Campaign’s story is not overly unique but the gameplay is fun and that is what matters. Throughout the campaign you get a lot of flexibility on how you want to approach each section. You can grab a rocket and machine gun and go in heavy, or sit back with a sniper and some mortars. There are a wide range of weapons to pick from and each one has multiple upgrade options for bullet types to pick from. My preferred combo was an assault rifle with bullets that take down a shield quickly and then a machine gun with incendiary rounds to work down the enemy’s armor. You get similar upgrade options with the detonation packs, mortars and grenades. You get plenty of chances to resupply so you can try out all the various loadout combinations you want in the campaign. The boss fights take some work but they were a nice change pace from the other parts of the story since you have one strong enemy to fight instead of numerous weaker ones. The campaign took me about 5 hours to work through which I think is a good length for a $15 game. Especially considering the main focus is the co-op and multiplayer modes. The campaign gives you a feel for the mechanics of the game but it is clear this game is all about playing with or against your friends.

I was expecting Swarm mode to be like Horde from Gears of War, but set in Section 8. While there are some similarities the game play is not really the same. It requires a lot more teamwork to complete Swarm mode. You need to call in the proper deployable turrets and it work as a team to keep them up since each person can only call in a couple turrets. In addition to just defending against enemies there are also optional Dynamic Combat Missions that can be completed during the waves. Doing so nets your team a bonus but you have to be careful about leaving your base without enough people defending it to complete the mission. This balance and focus on working together makes for some really fun rounds when everyone finds their role and starts to fill it well.

The Conquest verses mode supports up 32 players in a match and if the room is not full there is an option for bots to fill the remaining spots. Like Swarm, teams working together are going to succeed because there is a lot going on in each match. Teams are broken into squads of 4 so it makes it easier to play with a group of friends and have a set role for your group. You have 4 bases to try and capture/defend, but there are also DCMs that will net your team a nice bonus for completing. Because there is a lot going on it takes a few matches to get the hang of all the different DCMs and icons on the map, but after a round or two it will all start to sink in. I’ve had a lot of fun with my time playing Conquest so far and I’m looking forward to playing more. I do wish there was a party system that would let me get a squad together and then jump into a match as a group (like BFBC2), but instead you have to join a match and then invite your friends in. There are options for private matches through so you can get a group of friends together playing a full room – assuming you have 31 other friends who can all play at the same time.

While there are little things, like not having a party system, that would have been nice to have overall I’m really happy with Section 8: Prejudice. For $15 there is a lot of content and even better is that all the different parts are fun. If you never played Section 8 plan on a bit of a learning curve, but taking the time to figure out all the different aspects of the game rewards you with a strategic, team work oriented shooter. Hit the link by the trailer and get the demo downloading so you can check it out yourself.

This is a fairly simple tower defense game but I had fun with it. It was nice to see a TD game where it is not all lasers and missiles. Here you just have a family trying to defend the swamp. There are only 5 "tower" types and each can be upgraded 3 times, but they all server a distinct purpose.

I do with that there was some music in the background because without it the sound effects get a bit annoying after a while but I just turned down the volume and it was not a big deal. The graphics are a nice cartoon look that fits the settings of the swamp well.

I found the levels to be on the more difficult side but after a few tries I was able to finish most of them. A couple took more effort though.

If you like TD game but are not in the mood for something very complicated them check out Swamp Defense.

I like the idea of a Tower Defense game with RPG elements but not like this. The graphics really bugged me after just a few minutes and the music got turned off pretty much right away. There was a lot of text to read at the beginning but it did not explain how to play or which units had what abilities.

Wizard's Keep is a pretty fun little adventure game. I enjoyed playing it in short bursts. If I tried to play fore long periods though the game got a bit repetitive. For $1t thought it is well worth checking out.

I played this quite a bit with my son today and we had a blast. The difficulty curve is a little steep with objects at the top of the screen coming pretty early but he got the hang of it pretty quick.

The controls work well with the mic except if you get the two players too close together and then both mics pick up both players.

The graphics are simple but are clean & work well for the game.

If you have kids who want to play but can't handle a controller yet this is well worth checking out.

I'm become a pretty big fan of vertical shooters over the years but this is the first one I've played that is merged with a platformer. I'm generally not great at platformers but something about the way these two genres are blended together works really well. The pacing is not to fast but keeps things going and there are plenty of upgrades just as my current ones are running low.

The game starts off fairly easy but the difficultly does get challenging as things progress. Fortunately there are some practice rooms and the game saves your progress so you do not have to start over at the beginning every time you play.

If you are fan of either genre I'd recommend trying I Accidentally...In Space. The components work really nicely together and at the low price of a $1 you can;t ask for much more.

I went into Full House Poker without any real expectations. I do not play a lot of cards games on Xbox Live Arcade usually, but I do like poker in general. So, I find myself pleasantly surprised with how much fun I was having playing FHP. I intended to play just a couple hands to check things out when I started, but about 90 minutes later I had made about 8000 chips and was hooked.

The graphics and animations are a good fit for a game where you play as your avatar. Everything is a little cartoony but in a way that is fun and enjoyable. There are quite a few different ways you can play. You can play at a single player 10 person table or take on Pros in head to head takedowns. When you are ready for some multiplayer there are 10 player tables, 30 player multi-table tournaments and 30 minute Texas Heat live poker game shows.

The controls work really simply and well. Each person has a set amount of time to take their turn so you don’t have to worry about the table getting completely held up by someone falling asleep or getting distracted. Even before your turn you can pick your next action based on the current situation, then as long as no one raises you don’t have to do anything else. If there is a raise then you have the option to set your move again or wait for your turn.

On top of playing for chips you also earn experience with each hand you play. The better you play the more experience you get. Even folding a losing hand nets you an XP bonus. As you rank up you unlock new venues, customization options, tricks to do with your chips and outfits. The experience ranks give you a nice idea of how much your opponents have played, but even better are the in game stats you can check out for each player. At your current table you can easily see how many chips everyone has just by hitting the Right Bumper. You can also see stats on an individual player with the triggers including winnings at the current table, hands won and loss and number of showdowns. These details help to determine if the person you are playing is likely bluffing or not.

Even if you don’t play poker you should check out Full House Poker. There are plenty of tutorials for new comers, and for veteran players there are tournaments to show off their skills. This is the kind of game you can jump in and play for a few minutes, or spend all night playing with a group of friends. A well polished game like this is always worth taking the time to check out.

Torchlight is one of the few games that I regularly go back to and play on my PC. I’ve got two characters that I’ve played through the entire story with and have spent a lot of time playing the end game content with both. So, you can say that I was pretty excited for the Xbox Live Arcade version to release. Despite my excitement I was also a little nervous about how it would play with a controller since it was originally designed for the keyboard and mouse. Fortunately, Runic put a lot of effort into adjusting the interface and controls for the Xbox. The changes to the inventory and combat to accommodate a controller work beautifully and I can’t even tell it not originally made with the controller in mind.

Having played through most of the main story on the Xbox Live Arcade version now I think I may even prefer playing it with a controller. Instead of using the mouse for both attacking and moving these are now separated like one would expect on a controller. No more do I accidentally miss clicking on a moving enemy and instead run across the screen. Now I can move around and just hit the X whenever I want to attack. I never really found this frustrating about the PC version but now that I’m playing on a console I can see how much better it is.

The story and combat are still as fun as ever. Crushing tons of enemies and collecting cool new loot is always a plus. The new pet for the Xbox version is a nice addition as are the other new additions of armor sets and quests. I thought I’d miss some of the really nice mods the Torchlight community has made but so far I have not.

If you have not played Torchlight yet the Xbox Live Arcade version is a great way to go, but even for long time Torchlight fans the console version is well worth picking up to play through again.

~ Review originally posted on VGrevolution.com

We don’t get a lot of $10 Xbox Live Arcade games there says that are not remake of arcade title so it is nice to see PopCap releasing a newer title for that price. If you have not played Bejeweled before it is a match 3 style game where gems fill the screen and you have to destroy them. Frankly, I suspect that pretty much everyone has played some form of Bejeweled before and you don’t need an explanation. Bejeweled Blitz Live keeps this same gameplay style but you have just 1 minute to get as many points as you can. There are 2 game modes in Bejeweled Blitz Live that determine how gems cam move. There is the classic mode where 2 gems switch places and then twist mode where you rotate a square of 4 gems to make matches.

The new twist mode is a nice change of pace I do still prefer the classic mode. Maybe just because I’m use to it but I have trouble getting matches correctly in twist mode. The 60 second time for a game means I can easily jump on and try to beat my friend’s weekly top scores for a few minutes and not be spending hours trying to attain the top leaderboard spot.

I am especially enjoying the Live Party mode where you can get a group of friends together and play at the same time while chatting it up or talking a little smack about your current score. It is a fun way to add a little competition to the game without getting overly aggressive about it.

The one thing I miss in Bejeweled Blitz Live is a puzzle mode. The Blitz modes are fun but sometimes you just want a little more challenge without a time limit. Hopefully we’ll see Bejeweled 3 coming to XBLA soon and fans can get their fix that way.

If you are a fan of match 3 games then be sure to check out Bejeweled Blitz Live and see how high a score you can get in a minute.