Since this style of puzzle game has been done many times it is hard to judge it on the actual puzzles since they are ones you've probably seen before it you like this type of game.

However, the graphics leave a lot to be desired.

If I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1 was made into an Arcade game this is pretty close to what I though it would be, but it is jus tnot that good. Very repetitive and nothing really spectacular. 4 player co-op is a nice touch, but I'd recommend just spending the $1 on I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1 instead.

Priced at just $1 it is games like this that Xbox Live Indie Games was made for. With great graphics, simple controls, and a relaxed playing style there is nothing I can think of that they could add to make Fishing Girl any better.

It would be nice if there were instructions or a tutorial. Or even a controller layout picture.

Also, the graphics are terrible.

This is a game concept that has been done many times and this version is well made with nice graphics, but we're still talking about a pretty simple game.

The challenges and co-op are a nice touch, but this seems like a nice $1 game to me and not the $3 it is currently priced.

The concept here is pretty fun but the execution is lacking. The graphics are very simple and basic and the font used really bad.

Nothing really wrong with Bust a Wall, but there is nothing to really set it apart. The level design is pretty generic but the controls work well.

Just a week ago Defense Grid: The Awakening released on Xbox Live Arcade and I’ve been loving it. I finally completed the main campaign but I still need to do the four expansion levels. This is in addition to the 60 challenge levels I still have to work through. If you remember my initial demo impressions I was expecting to enjoy Defense Grid. Frankly, I’m loving it even more than I thought I would from the demo. As tower defense games go this one is not super hard like Crystal Defenders but it is still quite challenging. Getting all the way through the 20 levels takes a good 8 hour; assuming you can get through them all on the first try. Completing the levels is generally possible in a few tries, but getting a Gold (or even Silver) Medal on them is an entirely different story. Getting a Gold Medal requires completing the level without loosing a single life as well as conserving as much money as possible. You have to build and upgrade towers at the last possible second to allow your gold to earn more interest. So, it is a constant battle of knowing when to upgrade so that no enemies escape but you don’t build the tower to early. In addition on the later levels you have to also figure out the best placement for your towers so that they are most effective.

Graphically the game looks great and the sound is nicely done too. I mentioned the camera in the demo impressions so I’ll not go into it a lot again, but I will say it looks great in HD. I’ve unlocked a good chunk of the achievements but I still need to get all gold/silver medals on the campaign missions and at least 20 of the challenges.

The demo only had a few of the towers available which is too bad because the other towers in the full game are really sweet. There is an artillery style, Meteor tower that does massive damage over very long distances but shoots slowly. The Cannon tower is sort of like part way between the gun and meteor towers. It does more damage than the gun tower but slower. The really important towers for solid strategies are the Command and Temporal towers. Neither actually shoots but they have interesting area effects. The Command tower shows cloaked enemies and gives great gold for killed enemies in its range. The Temporal tower slows the movement speed of the enemies in its range. By putting these together and surrounding them with fully leveled turrets essentially is a make your own choke point. If you can get a couple of those back to back it can be really devastating to the enemy troops.

Overall I really love Defense Grid: The Awakening. If you like tower defense games this one is really great. It is challenging and has a ton of levels and replayability. If you have never really tried tower defense games this is a good one to start with because it has a forgiving learning curve. Plus the achievement have a nice range of effort required to unlock them with a few being very simple and others quite time consuming. For $10 eight hours of game play without doing any challenges is pretty good, but with all of the challenges I know I’ll be playing for weeks and maybe even months.

I like Ninja Guardian it looks good and is simple to play, but challenging as you progress. The one thing I find frustrating is that you only play on 1/3 of the screen.

But it does what it says.

The game is pretty fun but I found that there was so much going on that I frequently lost track of where I was on the screen. Also, there would get to be so many enemies that sometimes I could not tell what color some enemies were in the middle of a group to get the right pick up to kill them.

but I found it annoying. The idea of having actual people as the playable character is different and kind of fun. Yet, I found the actual graphics grating and the sound was especially annoying as it is very repetitive. It is the same sound effects over and over.

I love the retro graphical style of this game and the music/sound effects. I also really liked that when I miss a jump instead of falling to my death it does the Bubble Bobble style thing and you fall back through the top of the level.

There are a nice level of options that a lot of Indie Games ignore like separate sound and music volume, rumble, and difficulty settings.

Co-op is a great touch but I was not having too much trouble getting through in single player. I is nice that you have the option to continue after you loose all your lives.

Looks nice but I wish it was a two stick shooter where I pick the color of my shots with the buttons instead of hitting the button to shoot. I really like the concept of the game but I found it frustrating trying to shoot enemies that were chasing me. I love the idea of a health/energy bar that is combined but mine goes down really fast when I try to shoot enemies chasing me by reversing course and shooting as fast as I can at them. If they add a two stick control scheme I would have to raise my score to an 8 or 9 because it looks great and is a fun take on a shooter.

I like the idea of a zombie based tower defense game, but this is more of a shooter where you defend the base at the first. I tried repeatedly but never got to the base defending part that John mentions in his review. I might have tried more but the graphics are really not that good so I gave up.

Generally I like this style of puzzle game but PSS frustrated me. The sound effects got old really fast. Also, whey do I need to hit A after completing every level and then pick a bonus for winning. Just automatically pick a bonus and don't make me hit anything until after that is done to start the next level.

I was browsing the new Xbox Live Indie Games yesterday and noticed a Wacky Karts. From the screenshots I could tell right away it is a clone of the SNES era Mario Karts. Since arcade and kart racing games are the only ones I ever can play successfully I was pretty pumped. So, I downloaded the trial and gave it a spin. The first thing I noticed was that the AI, even on the easier levels, is nearly perfect. I also quickly found out that if you leave the track, even a little, you are going to come in last. After the trial ended I went on to playing other stuff and nearly forgot about it.

A few hours later I got an email from the creator of the game offering me a copy of the game for to review for XBLA & XNA Ratings. I agreed and I'm glad I did. The free copy got me to play it again when I otherwise might not have. I’m glad it did to because I replayed a few of the same tracks and started to do a lot better. Mostly because I started to learn the layouts and stay on the track more. One thing I found annoying at first, but quickly grew to like was that when you’re in the back half of the pack the power ups are almost always turbo. The first few times I played this annoyed me because I wanted to try some of the other ones, but now I like it because the turbo can really help you make up lost time.

The graphics have a very SNES look to them that has really grown on me. I tend to not notice the area around the map because I’m trying to focus on the race but these graphics stand out with their retro look. The sound effects are a little generic but really I did not notice them that much so at least they were not annoying.

Wacky Karts definitely is game that is hurt by the 8 minute trial time limit. It took me at least 30 or 40 minutes to start winning some races. Once I found the right kart for my racing style and got a feel for the tracks I was able to consistently be in the top 3 or 4. A couple hints I figured out that really helped me: as soon as the track loads up hit the gas. Unlike Mario Kart games where you would spin out for revving the engine too soon in Wacky Karts you will get the best start that way. Second, as soon as you can get in front of an enemy block them off so they can not pass. This will cause them to hit you from behind and give you a little speed boost.

The game does have its faults. The menus are slow to respond to button presses at times, but in other cases you will hit the button once and it will register twice. The learning curve is really steep and the karts do not seem to be very balanced. However, if you play with some friends and use the faster karts it can be really fun.

I tried three times to play this but I can't get the nano bots to do anything besides water. I hit the other buttons that pop up in the tips but nothing happens. Either the game is not working or they do not properly explain how to play.

It is a shame because it seems like an interesting concept to defend a specific location from incoming attackers in a two stick shooter.

I like Shadow Complex. I'm not all the way through it yet, but so far it is great. The cut scenes are really nice for a Arcade game and the action goes into and out of them almost seamlessly.

The only think frustrating at times (besides hard bosses) is the aiming. At times you want to target an enemy in the background but instead it targets one in front of you. This got old after a while, but not to the point I quit playing.

No need for it on the 360

This game's screenshot got my attention. However the actual game has no help or instructions so you just have to figure it out as you go. I quickly got frustrated with that. Plus the sound effects get old really quick.

This is the best 2 stick shooter I've ever played. I suck at these type of games but this one I can handle. The power-ups and weapon variety helps.

The song that plays in hilarious. It alone is worth the $1.

My only complaint is that it does not support playing over Live. If could play this co-op over Live it would be nearly perfect.

I like Exit 2 better than the first one but still very slow paced and that bugs me.

This game is really fun once you learn the levels. Great music to go with it. It takes a while to memorize the courses but once you do you can dominate.

I like tower defense games and this one is pretty good.

I love the option to adjust the game's speed. That makes it quicker when you're leveling enemies and you can slow it down when things are getting tight.

The camera could use some work though. I wish I could more it around faster and it took me a long time to get use to how the camera controls.

I'm really digging this game. No flying enemies is great. The option to move your towers is nice, but I tend to forget about it. It really rewards you for working out a solid strategy. The default setting is challenging but not impossible with a couple tries. There are 12 levels and they are all fairly different. Lots of replay value. Online leaderboards and the option zoom in would make it perfect.

Decent little flight sim/game but I found the lack of control options frustrating. I could not set them how I prefer for flying games.

The game is interesting and I like the concept, but the graphics could have used a lot more polish.

Still, if you like challenging puzzle/arcade games this one is pretty good.

The game has a nice level of polish for something so simple but the controls frustrated me. Why is it that the right trigger is the gas, but the left bumper is the shield? After about 5 minutes of hitting the left trigger and nothing happening I got frustrated and quit playing.

This is very nicely polished game. The single player is fun & challenging, and the 8 player multiplayer is fun if you get a full room going.

The idea of the game to combine Pong style play with other gameplay elements is pretty neat, but the lack of the ability to adjust the controller sensitivity killed it for me.

Plus I found all the text to be quite grating graphically.

I like this take on Missile Command and visually it looks great, but I found it to be very hard. If there was a setting for Easy, Normal, Hard, etc. it would be rated a bit higher. Still, if you like Missile Command type games this one is worth checking out.

This is one of the funniest XBLA games released to date. Also very long with 50 single player and 50 more co-op levels. It gets pretty challenging as you progress, but still very funny.

Pretty fun game. Playing as your Avatar's head is funny stuff.

This is a pretty fun puzzle game. The time limits never were so short I felt like I was not going to make it but they keep the game moving. It is nicely polished and has a well made tutorial.

There only two things that bug me about the game. First, all the pieces look very similar. I wish they were different colors to make it a little easier to tell them apart. Also I think the controls might be a little better if it snapped to the pieces instead of floating freely.

Overall very good though.

This games does have some nice features. Like that players can join even whenever they want. So, I can start and then a friend can grab another controller and join later.

However, it has a lot of annoyances too.

First, the gong sound every time you clear a line.
Also, there ore prices that have parts not connected. Like a line of 2 and then a space and then a single dot. This can lead to random bits floating in the air.
Finally, as far as I could find there is not a way to have it so when you hit up it drops the pieces immediately.

I decided to try this out even though the screenshot is not that impressive since GeekLad seems to like it.

Either he is lying or really odd because this game is garbage. Graphically it looks terrible. The controls are not very smooth even when I followed the tips in the help section. Plus, you can win pretty much all the time just by spinning in a circle as fast as you can non-stop.

Just not the same with the 360 controller.

You $15 is better spent finding an original somewhere and start putting in your quarters.


~Update~
I see some people are not fond of my review of this game. I probably should have explained why more the first time, but I was tired.

Anyway, I'm just disappointed they did not give it a full remake like so many other great games have gotten on XBLA and it really just does not play the same with a controller. If you like the game that is great. Feel free like others to leave a rating stating why. For me personally, it was just not that great.

It is an interactive screen saver. Not really needed on the 360.

Despite the fact I never got into the past Battlefield games (never really played them at all actually) and $15 for 4 maps seems expensive when it is a multiplayer only game I decided to give the demo a try.

I gave the tutorial a run though and I don't really like the button mapping options for the controls, but that is something I can get use to in time. The tank was pretty fun and then I tried the plane. After crashing it 8 or 10 times I decided that was something I could learn later. I just can't get a hang of the controls for flying in this. But, ok, no biggie I like tanks better anyway. The graphics look ok and the three classes of players offer a little variety. Having a 4th map that does not unlock until later is really lame.

Setting aside all the issues with being able to join a match the first 2 days I still really don't like this game. It always seems laggy. Everything is hard to control and the option to join an open squad never seems to work. Plus you can't start a private room with less than 16 people. Who thought that was a good idea.

The RPG elements are interesting since it is a ship they apply to and not a person, but I found the game dull overall. Plus the graphics remind me of Windows 95.

This is really lame. Long load times and a "Simon Says" game style.

Interesting to play a game from any character you want, but I did not find the story that interesting and it was a little too slow paced for me.

The graphics and music have a fun cartoon style to them that works well for the game.

The wife and I are tetris fans and this one is pretty good. Decent amount of options and game modes.

I had not heard much about this title before it released but I was pleasantly surprised with the well rounded multiplayer. The graphics are not the best out there but for the play style they work.

Maybe I was missing the point but this game was pretty boring. Graphically it has a fun cartoony look that I liked (and I love pirate), but it seemed like all the computer AI did was charge the coins as fast as possible. They never fight each other or me. I id however go around shooting all the other ships and stealing their coins, but there was no challenge.

Plus, there are times the game makes you navigate around things like destroyed ships that seems like you should not have to. Also, the controls turn the ship very slowly.

I tried out Droplitz for a while today and just cold not get into it. They don't use over 1/2 the screen and it just doesn't seem that hard. Maybe I need to get to the higher levels or something, but for the 30 minutes I played it was ok.

Visually it looks good but not as addicting as I thought it might be.

This is one of those goofy games that is a riot with a group of friends. The levels vary in goal a little but mostly you're just trying to shoot everyone and get power ups.


The Rocket Riot song that plays when you win a level is great and the 8-bit style graphics are a fun way to show there is nothing serious about this. I mean really you have a jet pack strapped to your butt.

This is an interesting idea for a world creation sim. There really needs to be a better tutorial because I played for 30 minutes and ready the help info but still could not figure out everything I was suppose to be doing. Still, it seems like it could be fun it I knew what to do.

Based on Duckocide's confidence I tried out Tail Gun Charlie, but I was disappointed. The controls felt slow and even with speed up power ups I always seem to be behind where I want to be. Also, a lot of the time it is hard or impossible so see the power-ups approaching. Graphically it looks ok.