The Best XBLIG New Releases for the Week of December 11

Still playing Skyrim? Yeah, we thought so. But, doctors recommend that you take a break from slaying dragons every 100 hours, so maybe you should stretch those legs, re-hydrate with some beer, and download some indie games.

Armless Octopus Bloody Stump Award for the Indie of the Week

Magic Racing GP 2 – Dave

This is a really fun racer. The aesthetics and menus are nothing to write home about, but beneath that is a really deep game. You can tinker with dozens of options, to the point where it feels far more advanced than most triple-A racers. I can see this being a blast at parties as well, as you can greatly simplify the game for a simple drop-in / drop-out experience. Definitely try this.

We Recommend

I, Zombie – Dan

I, Zombie can only be described in two ways. One is a unique mix of classic Metal Gear gameplay with some Overlord mixed in. The other way is “simply charming.” The game features a cute aesthetic, clever design and the always stellar musical stylings of Kevin Macleod. Keep checking in here at Armless Octopus for the upcoming full review.

 

FishPop – Erron

FishPop is a spin on the ‘Atoms’ style of game, where you place fish in a pond. Once four fish are placed in the same space, they spin out in four directions, taking over the adjacent squares and sparking combos if the new squares contain four fish. It’s a pretty crazy game, and there’s also online and local multiplayer  for up to 31 people.

 

Extreme Jogging – Dan

Most Avatar-based games are lacking in decent design, polish and fun. Extreme Jogging is an exception to that rule. Extreme Jogging has you controlling you avatar as it runs down a corridor and avoids various obstacles such as sharks, barrels and giant boulders. It’s surprising, but it’s a game strongly featuring Avatars warrants a strong “Try”.

 

Colonies: Neociv – Dan

The game features very high production values in its cutscenes and user interface. The gameplay, however, leaves something to be desired with its robotic player control and less than stellar shooting mechanics. This is the kind of game that will live and die by its story and production values. That being said, the game deserves your attention for at least the duration of the trial.

 Attanck!2 – Dan

The player takes control of an ASCII tank and attempts to shoot other ASCII-made art assets. It’s an interesting presentation with the unique visual style, but the motion sickness inducing camera and (literal) tank controls will turn off most players. Attanck!2 gets a lukewarm “Try”.

Other Releases

Nyan Cat Adventure – Dan – The game pretty much encapsulates Nyan Cat as a meme: “What just happened?” It holds your attention, though you’re not entirely sure why, mostly because you’re generally confused.

Spartans in Candyland – Mike – For the first time in gaming history, Spartans, Teddy Bears and machine guns have been jammed into one extraordinarily mediocre experience. It’s a twin-stick shooter, but one that quickly becomes repetitive as you wander around a suburban environment looking for checkpoints and killing pastel-colored animals.

Cassie’s Christmas Magic: Episode 3 – Dave – I have no idea of what this is. When you go to play it, it simply has scrolling pictures and backgrounds while a woman’s voice is talking about something. I’m not even sure what she’s saying because it’s paragraphs seemingly spliced together. In the center of the screen is a large “Press ‘X’ to buy this now” screen.

Fun in the Gulf – Dan – Fun in the Gulf, it is not. The game seems to be some kind of confusing version of checkers that doesn’t really work on any level of fun..

North Pole Zombie Massacre – Dylan – Some indie games feel cheap and look cheap, yet they somehow maintain the utmost important element of fun. For North Pole Zombie Massacre, this is not the case. Ugly and dumb.

Let’s Get Fiscal – Erron – It’s a side-scrolling brawler that plays off the Phoenix Wright kind of concept where you’re controlling an accountant. During the demo I made it to the first boss, where I continually would get stuck IN them trying to avoid them, and there doesn’t seem to be any method of blocking.

Horde of the Damned – Dylan – Skip.

FireFly Vegas – Mike – This game would be a lot more interesting if I wasn’t suffering from severe twin-stick-shooter fatigue. It’s a pretty average space shooter with sort of trippy 8-bit graphics, but, it does nothing new at all. The camera seems like it’s zoomed in entirely too close, and there are just too many better alternatives for your twin-stick shooting like Zombie Estate or the entire Radiangames lineup.

Crazy Particles – Dave – This is exactly what it sounds like. You literally edit 5 options and play with particles on the screen.

Cassie’s Animal Sounds – Mike – The opening screen of this game warns that it may make you stupid. It’s probably right.

By Mike Wall at December 22, 2011.