By Mike Wall at January 22, 2011.

Xbox Indie Review: Isagoras

Posted on October 4, 2010 by Dave Voyles in Reviews, xblig | 1 Comment

I don’t know if you’ve realized yet based on the number of shmup (shoot-em-up) and twin-stick shooter titles I’ve review, but I’ve got a thing for them. I had high hopes for Isagoras, but unfortunately it falls just a bit short.

I’m not knocking the game for being a small budget, independent title because hey – that’s all we review here. And besides, limitations are the driving force behind creativity. From the developer’s mouth, “Nothing so original, but the artistic part is done using only free software tools and mainly Blender, and as the first project of this kind for the entire team (4 people),” and unfortunately it shows at times. The game opens up with a lot of promise and shines at times with enemy and ally ships flying above and beneath you, but there is never any interaction with allies. Your sole interaction with allies is a dialogue box which annoyingly consumes nearly 1/3 of the screen as you are trying to dodge enemy attacks. Read more

iOS Review: The Moron Test

Posted on September 29, 2010 by Dave Voyles in Reviews | 1 Comment

You are probably looking at this headline and thinking “iOS?” with a raised brow. Well, things have certainly begun to take change around Armless Octopus offices. While sticking with the indie genre, we are expanding our reviews and coverage to other platforms as well. This doesn’t mean that we will be abandoning the Xbox 360, but simply trying out a few new platforms and seeing where it goes. Besides, it’s difficult to deny that the mobile platform is making a huge dent in the independent developer market.

Some individuals thrive on competition, others not so much. The beauty of this title is that you can have it both ways. Players race against the clock the pass a series of “tests” in the shortest time possible. Does your buddy think they can do better? Hand it over to them and watch as frustration and fierce competition set in.

Xbox Indie Review: Mama & Son – Clean House

Posted on September 28, 2010 by Mike Wall in Reviews, xblig | 2 Comments

It’s a sad state of affairs when Earth’s only line of defense between subjugation by an army of alien robot kangaroos is a mother-son cleaning duo, but videogames don’t lie. Thankfully the son, Really (yes, that’s really his name), is a Rambo-inspired war vet, and his mother’s frazzled gray hair and hunched posture belie her adept agility.

Plausibility aside, Mama & Son is a fun, brief, and somewhat flawed 2D-shooter that could have been a coin-munching hit if it was conceived about twenty years ago. While the solo game feels a little flat, the duality of the protagonists makes it an interesting cooperative experience.

Xbox Indie Review: Pure Carnage

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Dave Voyles in Reviews, xblig | 1 Comment

If you were to venture back into my youth I’m sure I could be found at the local arcade playing my fair share of classic arcade titles such as Missile Command, and Pure Carnage is no different. I can still picture the “bop-bop-bop-bop” sounds of Ms. Pac-Man going off behind me, as well as the view of the increasingly deep line for Mortal Kombat, but I was also more of a classical gamer so Pure Carnage suits me well. I can visualize this cabinet being tucked away near the back towards the rest of the classic titles.

Players take control of up to 4 turrets, depending on how many human partners are playing alongside. In actuality, as a single player game, players control all four turrets but in a limited fashion. The premise is simple – stop enemies from attacking your turrets.

Xbox Indie Review: Hypership Out of Control

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Mike Wall in Reviews, xblig | 1 Comment

If I close my eyes while playing Hypership Out of Control, I can almost hear the din of electronic melodies emanating from the attract modes of nearby cabinets combined with the clapping of plastic as the kid next to me mashes on the colorful, round buttons. I open my eyes and am thankful that my TV doesn’t have unsightly brown cigarette burns scorched onto it, and that I’m able to sit back (okay, lean forward in intense concentration) and enjoy an exhilarating game descended from arcade classics.

Hypership Out of Control has no misgivings about what it is; the name pretty much says it all. Some space rats have infested the ship’s braking system, chewed through some wires and the ship is zipping through the galaxy at an ever-increasing speed. It’s a simple concept, but it’s a reminder that once upon a time, you didn’t need 64-player online multiplayer or the ability to change the color of your character’s underwear to create a fun gaming experience.

Xbox Indie Review: Snailien Invasion

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Mike Wall in Reviews, xblig | Leave a comment

If this is supposed to be an invasion, then I think my snail wandered onto the wrong battlefield; it’s more like a one-snail assault. Snailien Invasion shows a lot of promise, but ultimately gets squished by it’s unfortunate fixation on multiplayer combat in the vacuum that is the Xbox indie landscape.

Snailien Invasion (go ahead and say it again – Snailien Invasion) is basically an amped-up version of Worms. It strips out the turn-based elements that make some rounds of Worms a snooze-fest and morphs the concept into an arena-based 2D action game. Despite its glaring similarities, the pacing and the feel of the game are so different that it doesn’t feel like a ripoff at all. Perhaps in a different reality (one where snails form armies) and with a handful of tweaks, this game would get the attention it deserves. If you’re a college student or have a bunch of friends around, you’ll probably really get a kick out of the local multiplayer. But for the rest of us folk in the real world, it faces the catch-22 conundrum of requiring an online community to be fun, and thus it’s impossible to recommend purchasing because said community doesn’t already exist.

Xbox Indie Review: Protect Me Knight

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Mike Wall in Reviews, xblig | 4 Comments

Ever notice how many games are based on rescuing princesses? Zelda, Mario, The Princess Bride game I continue to wait for – all of these games feature damsels in distress awaiting rescue from their dashing hero. What is with all of these princess-nappings? Only drunken hicks have a higher likelihood for abduction than princesses. I’m pretty sure it’s just about the only task listed in their job description.

Protect Me Knight answers the question that most stories tend to gloss over: what if someone actually tried to prevent the princess from being captured? Perhaps we shouldn’t leave her locked outside the gates like a castaway piece of furniture wearing a “free to any passing hoodlum” sign? It turns out protecting princesses can be as much fun as rescuing them, especially when playing with some friends, bopping along to the fantastic retro soundtrack and laughing at the intentionally cheesy text. The whole thing is an enormous love letter to 8-bit gaming, and it’s pulled off to perfection.

Xbox Indie Review: Star Hammer Tactics

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Erron Kelly in Reviews, xblig | 4 Comments

My original impression of Star Hammer Tactics was of a game that was very middle of the road. Not mind-blowing, but not awful, either. Having put it down and come back to it weeks later, my opinion has shifted in the decidedly negative direction.

Star Hammer Tactics is a simulacrum of a turn-based strategy/ simulation game. Each mission gives you a few ships and pits you against the enemy ships on a 2D grid. The smallest ships have a huge move distance; the bigger ships have less movement, but have missiles that can be fired at enemy ships. And that’s about it.

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Reviews

Xbox Indie Review: Isagoras

iOS Review: The Moron Test

Xbox Indie Review: Mama & Son – Clean House

Xbox Indie Review: Pure Carnage

Xbox Indie Review: Hypership Out of Control

Xbox Indie Review: Snailien Invasion

Xbox Indie Review: Protect Me Knight

Xbox Indie Review: Star Hammer Tactics

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