XBLIG Reviews

SpeedRunner HD was developed by DoubleDutch Games and retails for 240 MSP. A copy of the game was provided for review purposes.

Somebody set SpeedRunner up the bomb. Over and over. That’s about as much plot as you’ll get in SpeedRunner HD, but that’s ok. You play as SpeedRunner, a quick superhero-type fellow with a sweet costume and a penchant for dismantling bombs. Which is good, because the Mad Bomber is setting up bombs all over the city for you to diffuse. Each level is filled with a variety of obstacles that you must overcome using the tools you gather along the way, including a grappling hook, a jetpack, and the ability to jump off of walls. The levels all have a number of potential paths to take, so keep your mind open to different possibilities as you play through in an effort to get the best time. Read More

Lair of the Evildoer was developed by Going Loud Studios and retails for 80 MSP. A copy of the game was provided for review purposes.

Lair of the Evil Doer is a twin stick shooter with some roguelike elements as well. You are the rejected creation of an evil doctor who has decided to fight for his life rather than be terminated. To survive you must explore floor after procedurally generated floor. Along the way you collect new and improved weapons and level yourself up as well. The RPG elements are fairly solid which adds a lot to the game. It also has a lot of oddball humor scattered throughout the game.

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Zombies Ruined My Day was developed by Mancebo Games and retails for 80 MSP. A copy of the game was provided for review purposes.

Zombies Ruined My Day tells the tale of one man who finally got a date with his dream girl, only to have it completely upstaged by a zombie apocalypse. He has only two options, be eaten or save his girlfriend and the world. He chooses the latter and that’s where the game starts off. In Zombies your goal is to mow down hundreds of zombies while staying alive and rescuing survivors. Each level has a set number of zombies that come out in waves. The trick is figuring out which zombies to kill first and how best to do it. Fortunately there is plenty of firepower to help even the overwhelming odds.

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Aban Hawkins and the 1000 Spikes was developed by 8 Bits Fanatics and retails for 80 MSP.

Aban Hawkins is a classically inspired platformer with a penchant for pain. The games protagonist, Aban, has a strange name and an Indiana Jones identity crisis. He is trekking through dangerous ancient temples searching for treasure. Saying his job is extremely dangerous is an understatement as every step tends to bring impending doom upon him. At its heart this is a simple platformer that ramps up the difficulty very rapidly. It is likely to elicit rage and laughter all at once since it is so sadistic.

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Seizonrenda was developed by Inland Studios. It was released October 30, 2010 and retails for 80 MSP. A copy of the game was provided for review purposes.

Seizonrenda is a twin stick shooter taking place on a barren moon. The goal of the game is to survive and score points. Waves of floating asteroids and sentient enemies continually fall to the moon in increasingly complex patterns. The action is fast and gets complicated quickly as more and more enemies pile onto the screen.

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Who is God was developed by Magiko Games and retails for 80MSP. A copy of the game was provided by the developer for review purposes.

Who is God is the next in a line of platformers released by Magiko Games. However this one is different from their Platformance titles. Instead of trying to survive deadly obstacles your single goal here is to go vertical. The higher your altitude, the better your score. In fact the only thing scored is your height in the air. To accomplish this you simply jump from platform to platform, or rather you bounce from one spot to another; there is no jump button. This differentiates it from more traditional platformers while keeping the pace tight.

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Veks and Silence was developed by i ENDER i and retails for 400 MSP. It was released on August 8, 2009. A copy of the game was provided by the developer for review purposes.

Veks and Silence is a side scrolling shooter akin to Metal Slug and Contra. In it, you take control of the hero, Silence. An odd character to be sure, Silence is overweight and always has a paper bag over his head, but what he lacks in looks he makes up for in sheer firepower. The game begins with a corporate-generated zombie apocalypse that has filled the world. Silence is the reluctant savior. Carnage and mayhem are sure to follow.

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Techno Kitten Adventure was developed by 21st Street Games and published on Xbox Live Indie Games on September 6, 2010. It was re-released June 7, 2011 for 240 MSP. A copy of the game was provided for review purposes.

Gigantic hands, flying animals, rainbows as far as the eye can see–these are just examples of some of the wackiness you’ll find in Techno Kitten Adventure. The game has a simple premise: fly for as long as you can and collect points while avoiding obstacles and enjoying the techno beats that are blown. It seems simple, but does the game give you that cute kitty satisfaction, or does it fall a few furballs short?
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Platformance 2: Temple Death was developed by Magiko Games and retails for 80MSP. A copy of the game was provided for retail purposes.

Platforming titles have seen something of an increase in both interest and quantity lately. Fortunately we’ve seen that most are high quality as well. Xbox Live Arcade titles such as Super Meat Boy and Ms. Splosion Man have been getting a lot of attention and rightfully so. But there are many indie titles that are carrying the fire as well and deserve some attention. Platformance 2: Temple Death is one such game. It brings a simple, no nonsense approach to platforming. You jump and swim to avoid insta-death obstacles, and boy is it hard. But the difficulty is the fun in this game, and this game has both in spades.

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Lootfest was developed by GameFarm Studios. It was release July 4, 2011 and retails for 80 MSP.

Lootfest is a stripped down indie version of 3D Dot Heroes. This is in no way a bad thing. The look both emulates its hero and has a unique tone. The gameplay is fun. The story is as simple as can be: the land has been taken over by three bosses and you must defeat them to set the land free. Your trusty sword and bow are the only weapons needed. Everything about this game is designed to be immediately accessible the first time you sit down on the couch.

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