The Splatters review

There are puzzle games and there are puzzle games that use physics. This game my friend is the epitome of physics puzzle games. If randomness isn't "your bag" look the other way otherwise be warned that The Splatters is a Tour de Force in the "oh, I get it" moment. "I don't get it" isn't an option. 

Now, lets have a physics lesson. The Splatters is derived around the simple mechanic of "splatting". Manoeuvre your splatter around the environment to splat them to the point they explode into a bunch of liquid that activates bombs that are scattered around the arena. Blowup all of the bombs and move on to the next objective. As simple as that is it's anything but that once you are introduced to more mechanics later on in the game. Unfortunately that is where the problem with the first few hours creeps its little head. The entire initial portion (Become A Talent) of the game is a giant tutorial. Although it does do a rather good job of giving you fun things to do with your new found skills you are quickly brought back to the classroom so to speak to be taught yet another skill for far too long. 

Among the skills you'll learn besides flinging your Splatter around is forward flip and reverse flip which are not what you think they are. Flipping in this game is essentially rewind and fast forward, but with a gigantic catch. You ARE NOT manipulating time. What you are doing is pushing the momentum of what you just did in the reverse direction. All of the physics properties that your Splatter has is thrown into the other direction giving you some really cool opportunities to have your head explode in delight or what is often the case, frustration.

As clever as this game can be with its physic modeled gameplay that is ultimately what will make you want to put the controller down over time for at least a break every once in a while. After you get over the solid presentation that grabs your eye with bright colors and a wackey soundtrack get ready to pull your hair out if you still have any. Much of what you learn throughout the Become A Talent section of The Splatters is straight forward all the way up until you start to get into situations where the physics take over and you feel that you don't really know what's going to happen when you are required to make an elaborate shot that is entirely dependant on rather or not the game cooperates with what you want to happen. Once this sets in you'll be restarting, restarting some more, and restarting even more after that. Thankfully the game resets itself stylishly fast or this would be a deal breaker almost immediately as you are asked to accomplish more and more complicated shots. 

Once you're out of the Talent mode and unlock the other two modes "Combo Nation" and "Master Shots" that is where the meat of the game stands and just as stated before, get ready for frustration on an epic level if you aren't a Splatter savant. Combo Nation requires you to chain together stunts as much as possible to achieve your allotted star value in the classic 1,2, or 3 star rating. Improvising your shots is a must, otherwise you'll quickly be wanting to throw your controller into orbit. Master Shots is also exactly what it sounds like. You are given a type of shot to achieve in the form of a cloud shaped just so. Make sure not to reposition your Splatter in this mode and let it fly with the exact shot the game tells your to perform. Fail to accomplish the goal exactly like its asked and you'll need to restart until you get it just right.

On top of the gameplay is a surprisingly well organized set of social features that allow you to show off your accomplishments after each and every event. Accompanying the classic score leaderboards is something called Splatter TV. In Splatter TV you can watch clips of other players as they accomplish crazy feats of Splatter physics. This feature can be a big help for those who just don't get it and need to see how it's done even if it's just to see how to do specific stunts with your Splatter.

Ultimately though, the physics based gameplay of The Splatters is it's triumph and downfall all at the same time. As dependant as the game is on the physics being the catalyst for everything you do it's the very thing that will cause frustration. If you don't get it almost immediately you will likely hate this game with a passion. Those who so called "get it" will have a blast and be more than willing to over come the quirks and constant restarts. Physic savants do need apply. All others who are wary, maybe you should look the other way.

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Review: Raskulls

The second title in the Games for Holidays promotion on Xbox Live might be the least appealing and original looking out of the three, but it very well may be not only the best out of the three, but one of the most enjoyable downloadable platformers in recent memory. The title mixes the classic 2D platform elements with various types of puzzles and races and throws in a whole lot of humor to create one of the best, albeit short, experiences in the history of Xbox Live Arcade.

You start out with humorous little still cutscenes explaining how the Pirats, a pirate group consisting of, get this, rats. Alright, that doesn't sound incredibly creative, but when their ship runs out of fuel and crash lands, they decide to venture out and find an alternative fuel source. Don't think that the Pirats are the heroes, however. In trying to secure an alternative fuel source, the Pirats decide to try to trick the Raskulls, a local skeletal species, out of their Shiny Stones. The Raskulls aren't ready to give up their Shiny Stones, so you assume the various roles of the Raskulls and your adventure to protect one of their most precious resource begins.

The gameplay of Raskulls is varied, but revolves around 2D platforming. You'll make your way through various levels that are hosted in three different environments. Each environment presents various challenges, primarily focused on a race of some sort. Each race will see the players running to a goal or doing laps in hopes to outdo either AI adversaries or the clock.

During these events, numerous obstacles will be in the way of you and the AI racers. The most common obstacles are the blocks that auto-generate within the levels. These blocks add a strong puzzle element to the game due to the fact that they interact with each other much like blocks in a typical puzzle game do. As you destroy them with your spark, they fall and conjoin with like-colored blocks, creating new formations and making the block-busting more calculated. Along the way, you can pick up power-ups and jars that fill up your Frenzy meter, which acts as a turbo boost in the racing scenario. The 2D platforming race is no new concept, but with the tight controls and numerous variations on the idea, Raskulls proves to possess a mastery of the genre.

In addition to the various races and time trials, there exist several other types of events. They range from making your way to a goal through large masses of blocks with only a certain number of zaps in your repertoire, to making your way to a goal without losing your Frenzy. The most fun of the different game variations, however, is the one where you must defuse bombs that are spread throughout masses of blocks. The trick is that you must do them without anything falling on them or causing the bombs to fall. Later on in the Mega Quest mode you'll even come across modes that combine the objectives of other modes (i.e. Defuse the Bombs with a Limited Number of Zaps) and more unique modes like the Sculptor mode, which requires you to zap a certain shape or color of block.

In addition to the Mega Quest mode, there are several multiplayer modes. The multiplayer modes, which span from local to Xbox Live, are all based in the primary theme of racing. These modes prove to be a huge success. If you can get a good group of people to race through the Grand Prix mode, the competition will get serious really quickly and the Mario Kart-esque antics with power-ups and Frenzy will ensue. This really serves to save the title from getting stale after the Mega Quest is done with.

Raskulls really is a great title. Xbox Live and Microsoft Game Studios ended the year with one of their best games. The only thing that we would've liked to see added to this game is another chapter or two of the Mega Quest. With only three chapters, the Mega Quest doesn't seem to really live up to its name, but with the possibility of DLC in the future, there is hope. The Quest doesn't really warrant another play through, but multiplayer and time trials give it plenty of value. The title would be a surefire candidate for downloadable title of the year if only it had a little bit more meat to it. As it stands now, Raskulls is an amazing title that is a little short-lived.

Review: ilomilo

The final title in the Games for Holidays promotion is an incredibly cute title that goes by the name of ilomilo. Ilomilo, which combines the names of the two protagonists, Ilo and Milo, appears to be a 3-D platformer at first glance, but without a doubt, this is a puzzle title.

The game centers around the two characters, Ilo and Milo. The story goes that they are best friends that live on separate ends of a park, but they like to see each other. Unfortunately, they have terrible memory, so everytime they try to visit each other, the journey seems different, which explains to the player why the puzzle is different with every level.

The game puts the two characters at opposite ends of the puzzle (or sometimes right next to each other) and gives the player the objective of making the two meet. Seems simple, right? Well, for the most part it is. Every so often, however, they will throw a serious curveball into the level and make it very difficult to finish.

To overcome the various obstacles in the levels, the player will be required to switch between the two characters, pick up and place various kinds of blocks and even defy gravity by rotating around the cubes. The different cubes range from simple moveable blocks to ones that extend and even transport the character to the other side of the cube.

As you advance through the nearly 50 puzzles, you'll play through several different environments, which makes it so the game always looks fresh. Even if the game didn't switch around the various environments, the game is still gorgeous looking and totally unique as far as presentation goes. The whole title has this LittleBigPlanet feel to it in the presentation department, but this is certainly a unique experience that takes full advantage of the Xbox 360's power.

There is much more to do within the puzzles themselves than just reunite the two little guys. Within each puzzle, there are smaller versions of ilo and milo called Safkas which are hidden throughout the levels and generally require the player to go out of their normal path to retrieve. Collecting Safkas results in bonus content that is generally worth the collection for those fans that get really sucked into the title. In addition to Safkas, players can also collect various fragments of memories and other bonus content, such as soundtrack parts, with all go to unlock bonus content for both the game and the other Games for Holidays titles.

Overall, ilomilo is about as addicting as games come. The average player might find themselves turned off by the somewhat cutesy art style, but once you get past the art-style and overall silliness of the title, you have a serious platforming puzzler that is able to present a serious challenge to even the most experienced gamer. Ilomilo is one of the first titles to be released in 2011 and if it is any indication as to how the year will shape up for Xbox Live Arcade, then we are in for a good one.

Review: A World of Keflings

Xbox Live Arcade games may not always have the longevity of a retail title, but that doesn't mean they can't be as or even more addicting than their retail cousins. A World of Keflings, the latest creation from the good folks over at Ninja Bee, is a follow-up to 2008's A Kingdom for Keflings and only serves to expand the scope and enjoyment of its predecessor.

The title casts you in the same role as the original title: a giant (represented by your avatar) that lives among tiny anthropomorphic creatures known as Keflings. A kingdom shrouded in ice discovers you frozen in a giant block of ice. You are freed and asked to assist in building their kingdom up. Obviously, you oblige their wishes, otherwise this game wouldn't exist.

You can decide whether or not you'd like to see the tutorials, but if you are unfamiliar with the Keflings titles, we'd definitely recommend you switch these on. If you're familiar with the series, there is an option to view Advanced Tutorials only. You'll start the game in the Ice Kingdom learning the ropes and building some basic buildings and harvesting the resources of the area. Eventually, the tutorial of sorts will end annd you'll be able to move onto the main part of the game, which takes place in the Forest Kingdom.

Once there, you'll meet the main character who wants you to build up his kingdom. You'll spend the bulk of your gameplay in this kingdom, but there is a third kingdom, which feels like it only serves to elongate the experience. Each kingdom has different resources, which allows you to trade between the three kingdoms to build more advanced buildings.

As you feel yourself get better at the game, you'll notice an addiction take hold and eventually you'll realize that hours have passed. Just as you start to wish that your avatar could walk a little faster or carry more resources, you'll have the option to buy upgrades that will do just that and more. NinjaBee was very smart about the timing of when they allow you to purchase such upgrades.

The dialog that occurs between the Keflings and yourself is very enjoyable to follow. NinjaBee was great about making dialog that is not only humorous and entertaining, but very family appropriate. The humor that is found in the dialog is found throughout the game as well. You level-up Keflings by bopping them on the head, you can dance and perform other "emotes" in order get reactions out of your Keflings, and some side-missions actually revolve around you kicking a given number of Keflings for various ridiculous reasons.

The main game will last you between seven and eight hours and will definitely have you wishing there was more game to play. Luckily, after you achieve the ultimate goal of building the castle for the king in the Forest Kingdom, you are able to free play and continue on building upon your already existing castle. With the promise of additional DLC, plus avatar awards on top of the already-present achievements, the replay value is in the above average realm as well.

A World of Keflings is a late favorite for downloadable game of the year. It has all of the qualities of a great sequel and many qualities of an overall great title. A World of Keflings not only builds upon the successes of the hit A Kingdom for Keflings, it improves on all of the shortcomings. With titles like Band of Bugs and A World of Keflings, NinjaBee is quickly becoming one of the top Xbox Live Arcade developers and hopefully they continue to get the recognition that they deserve.

Review: Crazy Taxi

Hey hey hey! It's time to make some ka-razy money! That's right everyone, Crazy Taxi, the wildest ride on the Sega Dreamcast, has been resurrected in the form of a downloadable release. As with Sonic Adventure's re-release, not a whole lot has changed, which will please the purists. There's no doubt that Crazy Taxi was crazy appealing back early last decade on the Dreamcast and in arcades, but with arcades an endangered species and the Dreamcast an extinct one, does Crazy Taxi have enough gas left in the tank to appeal to a new generation?

Crazy Taxi has, and always will be a game about speed and recklessness. For those unfamiliar with the title, very little setup is required on the part of the player. You choose which mode you want to drive in, Arcade or Original, choose a cab driver, and go. The game throws you right into the thick of things. You get a timer and thats about it. The narrator will quickly tell you your mission of making some "ka-razy money", the timer will start and you'll find yourself racing towards the prospective customers that are hailing you.

Once you pick them up, they'll let you know where you need to take them. Since the city can be a little confusing, especially in the beginning, you'll also receive an arrow that gives you turn-by-turn directions. Upon reaching your destination, you'll receive a base fare, which is based on how far the destination was from where you picked the customer up, as well as a "tip", which is really just a time bonus, based on how quickly you got them there. Along the way, you'll also receive little tips (or bonuses) for how exciting the ride is for the passenger. You'll accumulate for things like going airborne or narrowly missing oncoming traffic. This daredevil style of rewards system does wonders for increasing the excitement level of the game.

Once you complete your "shift", all of your earnings will be tallied up and you'll receive a license based on your performance. The higher your score, the higher your grade will be. You'll unlock achievements as you obtain higher grades, which, trust us, can be pretty tricky to get. Speaking of shifts, you'll also have the option as to how long you want yours to be. You can choose between the arcade style of shifts, which gives you time bonuses each time you pick up or successfully deliver a patron, or you can choose to work a hard-timed shift, which will expire the moment the timer runs out with no bonuses. Either way, you'll have plenty of rushing around to do.

In addition to the main modes, there's also a mode called "Crazy Box", which requires players to perform stunts in specialized courses in order to progress through the mode. The stunts range from performing long jumps using special moves in the car to drifting through various turns in order to make it to the goal in a short amount of time. The modes are fun, but are certainly a brief afterthought when compared to the other modes in the game.

So, now that we've covered the gist of the gameplay, the biggest question, as we mentioned earlier, is how does it hold up over a decade later? Well, the biggest factor is that the gameplay is still great. Crazy Taxi mastered the art of arcade-style driving long ago, and that is well-represented through this port. The sense of dangerous driving is still alive and well in this version, as well. The only thing that didn't really translate incredibly well, which was to be expected, was the presentation.

Originally, the game was consisting of beautifully designed levels inspired by southern California. Now, however, those levels are still intact, but they definitely look fairly dated.The textures don't look as smooth as we remember them due to the phenomenal graphics of today, but it definitely looks upgraded when you compare it side-by-side to the Dreamcast and arcade versions of the past. The only issue we had with the presentation is that there were apparently issues with the licensing of the Offspring tunes in the original, so they have been removed from this version of the game. This may seem like a minute detail, but for nostalgia junkies, they'll miss the chaotic environment created in part by "All I Want" being blasted in the background.

Crazy Taxi is the second release of Dreamcast classics on the Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network. Even though this game looks fairly dated, the gameplay still holds up as an excellent arcade driver. Throw in the fact that it has one of the more fun concepts of the past ten years, and you've got a great game to rediscover or, if you've missed the boat so far, you've got a new game to play during your time off this holiday season.

XBLA Review: Pinball FX 2

In 2007, an HD Pinball simulation was released on Xbox Live Arcade. The game, Pinball FX, was praised for being the best looking Pinball simulation on the market, but as a game, it left players looking for more bang for their buck. The title featured three tables, with the ability to download more tables at a cost. Eventually, the number of tables available for the title increased to nine, but by then, players had spent much more than the original buy-in price of $10.

Now, with Pinball FX 2, players can carry on with the functionality of the original Pinball FX with upgraded features. You can even import the tables you may have from Pinball FX into Pinball FX 2. The only issue with this, however, is that if you never got into Pinball FX before now, the first title in the series, along with all of its DLC has vanished, meaning you will never be able to experience those pinball tables. Luckily, Zen Studios has released a "Classic Collection" DLC pack which allows those that may have missed some of the tables from the original title to grab some of them.

Visually, Pinball FX 2 is amazing. The tables look crisp and clear and the ball moves through the table in a very realistic manner. The HD graphics are so spectacular that sometimes you'll forget that you are playing a pinball simulation and not just a pinball game.

Several improvements have been made over the first title and the developers are definitely not bashful about it. When you first start up the title, you'll see a short tutorial about all of the new features. Covered in this tutorial is the new physics engine, the streamlined menu, the realistic graphics, the new table designs, splitscreen multiplayer, and the backwards compatibility with Pinball FX. There's even a really cool new feature that allows you to tune nearly every aspect of each table, down to exactly how level or un-level the table is.

One of the coolest features, depending on your friends list, is the Wizard Score feature. The feature automatically pools your friends top scores on each table to determine who the real pinball wizard is on your friends list. You can also team up with friends to see if you can achieve the highest team score.

So with all of these new features, the main remaining question is, how does the game play? Well, it plays like pinball, of course! But that description is doing it an injustice. You could say the game that comes preloaded on most PC's plays like pinball. This game, however, is without a doubt the most realistic pinball simulation ever released. The physics engine is amazing, and really shines when you're playing multi-ball.

The table designs are also very well made. There is a lot to do on each table and it remains realistic, while at the same time, does things that you would never see on a real table design. It's for this reason that Pinball FX 2 is perfect for those that love pinball, but don't have the room or the noise tolerance to stock up on several tables in their house.

Pinball FX 2, as mentioned before, is a great pinball simulation, but unfortunately, that means that the target audience is very limited and so is the scope of the overall game. The title does make some great strides towards improving upon the first title in the series, but at the end of the day, the game is still based on something that isn't so prevalent in today's culture. With arcades near extinction and pinball going with it, Pinball FX 2 is a great way to preserve a possible past time of yours, but if you aren't huge into pinball, don't expect the title to grip you for more than a few playthroughs of each table.

Review: Super Meat Boy

There are few things more satisfying in the gaming realm than an excellent 2D platformer. Take that satisfying feeling and include some amazing puzzle elements, along with some overly simplistic controls and you have yourself a winning formula. This is the winning formula that Super Meat Boy, the sequel to the popular flash game, which makes its appearance as a full-scale downloadable title, has implemented to the fullest degree.

Super Meat Boy, as mentioned earlier, is based in simplicity. You control Meat Boy, who is dating a girl named Bandage Girl. One day, Meat Boy's arch nemesis, Dr. Fetus, kidnaps Bandage Girl and the game begins.

Each level requires that you reach Bandage Girl. While this sounds easy, it is definitely easier said than done more times than not. Once you get past the basic levels that are meant to teach you the very simple controls and objectives, you're thrown head first into the deep end. Before you know it, you'll be wall-jumping, free-falling, and sprinting past, through, over and under the likes of saws, lasers, lava pits and other environment-based hazards.

The gameplay of Super Meat Boy is part retro arcade and part 2D platformer. As we all know, in platformers, physics and controls play a huge part of the game. Luckily, Super Meat Boy has both super tight controls and consistent physics. There will rarely be a moment where you feel that you died and anything is to blame other than yourself. You truly have complete control over Meat Boy as you make your way through the various worlds.

No matter how good you get at Super Meat Boy, there will always be a high degree of challenge waiting for you. The most basic way to beat the game is to simply make your way through each level without dying. If you do the level quickly enough, however, you'll receive an A+ rating. Then, once you get an A+ rating on a level, you'll unlock the "Dark World" version of that level, which is simply an incredibly more difficult version of that level. Trust us, these levels can get VERY tough. It's new variations and offerings like this that will keep you coming back for more from Super Meat Boy.

The game is certainly a title that is meant for trial and error. Some levels you'll get the first try, but others you'll notice yourself dying upwards of fifty times before finally reaching the objective safely. The best part of this is not only the satisfaction of completing something you struggled with just minutes ago, but the fact that you get to watch and save replays of your run. These aren't just any replays, however. Instead of just showing your successful run, you'll see as many Meat Boys on the screen as you made attempts. They all start at the same time and the runs overlap on top of eachother, not unlike a "ghost" system found in other time-trial like games. It's really great to see all of your failures die in unique ways elimination-style on the way to watching your successful run reach its destination.

You'll even have some pretty epic "boss battles" at the end of each world. I put that in quotes because you don't really fight the bosses, as much as you escape them until they undo themselves. The battles/escapes each possess a very high degree of difficulty and you'll be very relieved when you finally escape the boss battle for the first time.

On top of the great controls, you have a fun, gruesome, and quite fitting presentation for the title. From the little cutscenes in between worlds to the fact that you'll actually be tracking a meat-trail everywhere you go, this game is one of those games that will have you appreciating the little things. And, as we mentioned, the replay system plays a big part in the presentation department.

All in all, we can't say enough good things about Super Meat Boy. The title handles incredibly solidly and the puzzle elements that force you to go trial and error don't wear on you as much as you might think. In fact, those very elements, combined with the large replayability-factor, is what will keep you coming back time and time again. The best part of all? Anyone can play this game. Hardcore and casual gamers alike will enjoy this title beyond most any other title in their libraries. There is no doubt that Super Meat Boy is one of the top games to ever grace the Xbox Live Arcade, and it will certainly stick out on the Wii as well.

Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1

16 years. It's been 16 LONG years since Sonic the Hedgehog 3 came out. Since then, we've gotten great games like Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic CD, but no Sonic 4. We've also had our fair share of subpar titles, which any casual or hardcore Sonic fan will be quick to remind you. After over a decade, however, Sonic Team has decided to bring its beloved Hedgehog back to his very solid roots; the 2D console game.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has been hyped as the game that will bring the Blue Blur back to his glory days, but can this new title live up to that near impossible expectation, or will it just leave more fans struggling to defend their favorite video game icon? Let's just say this: it certainly doesn't bring Sonic back to his days of old.

Upon selecting the title from your respective console's desktop, you'll be greeted with the nostalgic "SEGA!" soundbyte. If that doesn't get you excited to run from left to right at a blistering pace, we don't know what will.

Once you start the title, you'll notice the nice fresh coat of paint that has been given to the title. Looking at the graphics, the title looks crisp, but Sonic just looks like he sticks out off of the background. The way Sonic interacts with the environment is fine, but his motions seem very unnatural. When he flies through the air, the motion looks awkward, but the biggest issue comes with the way he speeds up.

Once Sonic starts moving, he picks up speed, but his animations look like he's still walking or jogging. This is also reflected in the physics, which are at the point that they are both awkward and a problem with the core gameplay.

The gameplay is the main issue that older Sonic fans will find with this title. The controls are very much the same as Sonic 2, which doesn't sound like a problem at all, but when combined with the new physics, the unimaginative level design and the strange inclusion of the homing attack from the 3D titles, it just doesn't feel right. In fact, even as you come to the end of this very short title, you still don't feel used to the gameplay mechanics. The best way to describe the gameplay has to be "counter-intuitive."

Creative level design is where the 2D Sonic games have always florished. One would think that in the nearly 15 years since the most recent 2D console release, Sonic Team would have come up with some original level designs that could have been used for the grand re-entering into the genre. Unfortunately, original ideas are few and far between. Nearly every nuance and challenge in each level has been lifted from a previous game in the series.

The game is incredibly short, consisting of only four Zones. The first zone is basically the typical Green Hill Zone-type zone from Sonic the Hedgehog. The second zone is essentially a rip-off of Sonic 3's Casino Night Zone. The third zone is he most original zone, but still borrows many elements from Sonic & Knuckles' Sandopolis Zone. The final zone, the Mad Gear Zone, is basically an amalgamation of every previous final zone found in a 2D Sonic title.

Each zone does have its own gimmicks, however, which gives the title a bit of a fresher feel. From running through a dark area lighting bombs and torches with a flame you carry, to overturning cards to gain items and rings, this is where the most original ideas come to life. There's even cart-based segments like those found in Donkey Kong Country, but they end up feeling too scripted and very brief.

Boss battles have also been a bright spot in the Sonic franchise in the past, as well. Unfortunately, nearly every element of every Boss Battle found in Sonic 4: Episode 1 has been taken from previous battles. The most infuriating moment came at the end of the final zone. Dr. Eggman (a name that desperately needs to go back to Dr. Robotnik) and Sonic blast into space and unlocks a new world. Sega bills this world as an epic "Final Showdown in Space".

All this amounts to is Sonic fighting through all of the previous boss battles from earlier in the game. Once you make it through this insulting final level, you are greeted with the most incredible slap in the face. The final showdown is none other than another boss stolen from a previous Sonic title, the final boss from Sonic 2.

The final straw for this game has to be the length, or lack thereof. Four zones is not nearly enough to justify the price tag, especially when long, enjoyable titles like Dead Rising: Case Zero are only $5. To put things in perspective, the original Sonic the Hedgehog, which was released in 1991, had six zones. There is no reason that Sonic 4: Episode 1 should be charging $15, the price of a premium Xbox Live, PSN or WiiWare title. The fact of the matter is, though there are save and level select features, it is incredibly easy to beat the game in one sitting. The only redeeming part of the game's length is the fact that the search for Chaos Emeralds are back, which can allow you to re-attain Super Sonic status yet again.

There is no doubt that Sega wanted this game to succeed. They put a lot of work into it and even delayed the title by a full season, but the game still feels empty and rushed. There's no reason that this title should play like this. Sonic used to be about precision and speed, but Sonic 4 strips those aspects from the title. The biggest travesty is the fact that nearly everything in this game has been seen before in previous titles. The game puts all of its eggs into one basket: nostalgia. Nostalgia was obviously what everyone was looking for when they went for this title, but it can't fuel a title on its own. There has to be some innovation and sense of progression in order for the title to earn the right to be called a sequel to the great Sonic 3/Sonic & Knuckles. To be perfectly blunt, this game is nothing more than a glorified remake.

Here's an idea: why not keep it to one release? Why bring it out episodically? There's no reason that they couldn't have delayed it until 2011 and made it one full title, much like the company's previous main competition, Nintendo, has done in the past with the New Super Mario Bros. franchise. Sonic 4 was supposed to reaffirm a sense of hope in the Sonic franchise, but instead all the game did was make the remaining believers question their faith. If you are still curious about the title, do yourself a favor and check out the trial version first.

XBLA Review: Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley

Twisted Pixel, the geniuses behind XBLA favorite, 'Splosion Man, have returned with another off-the-wall title. This time, instead of 'Sploding your way through a labratory, you'll be blasting fools away as you travel through four different comic books.

Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain smiley is really a hodgepodge of several different titles. The game takes the gameplay of Duke Nukem, the graphics of 'Splosion Man and the wise-ass nature of Matt Hazard and puts it into one title starring a superhero with an emoticon for his head.

Captain Smiley is definitely not your typical hero. He's clumsy and jealous, but the real kicker is that the star on his chest is actually attached to him biologically. Not only is this star (aptly named 'Star') a separate character altogher, but he constantly gives Captain Smiley a tough time, which leads to some very entertaining banter.

The story is definitely one of the most original concepts in the history of the Xbox Live Arcade. You star as the previously introduced Captain Smiley, one of the biggest stars in comic books. Unfortunately, as you'll see for yourself in the first mission, Captain Smiley's comic has been terrible lately. A very funny live-action cutscene after the first mission shows the comic being buried at a playground, given away for free at comic shops and even used as toilet paper (ok, thankfully you don't actually see this, but it's definitely implied).

The sales of the comic have turned down so sharply, that the team is actually broke and getting canned. Turns out that the only thing Captain Smiley can do to make some money and attempt to save his comic series is to actually make cameos in more successful comics. That's exactly what you'll be doing throughout the entire game. You'll go from comic book to comic book, completing missions to help the characters in each universe.

The graphics are very nicely done. You can certainly see the 'Splosion Man-esque graphical style throughout the game. As you travel through the four comics, the art direction changes. This is a great touch and as you go, you'll see everything from modern comic-style to cel-shaded to black and white. The character models are very embellished, as they are in comics. Basically, if you are into comics, you will love the graphical direction of Comic Jumper.

The melee gameplay of Comic Jumper, however, is hit-or-miss. The beat 'em up aspect of the game can be a little frustrating. While the game does do a good job of giving the player a few different ways to interact with up-close adversaries, the combat can feel a bit clunky. This is very much remedied as you get futher into the game and get to use various weapons in melee combat.

We much prefer the gun combat, which can actually become really rather difficult. The main difficulty-increasers are certainly the enemies, who can take a lot of punishment. They also have a knack for over staying their welcome at times, with enemies coming out just as you thought you made it through that particular wave. You'll definitely find yourself in your fair share of Contra-esque firestorms. Luckily, the game does a generous job of giving the player checkpoints, which you'll definitely need since you don't regenerate health unless you die.

The controls during gun sections are pretty intuitive and fast-paced. You use your left stick to run through the levels and your right stick to aim. To make matters easier, you use the right trigger to fire and the left trigger to jump. It all works out very well, but if you prefer to do it another way, you can also use the face buttons for a more old-school feel.

Throughout the title, you'll find various Easter-Eggs for other Twisted Pixel titles. The best tip of the hat has to come in the form of actually having 'Splosion Man and The Maw arcade machines in Captain Smiley's lair. Of course, to play them, you actually have to own the games through the Xbox Live Marketplace, but it's neat to see them in there. Captain Smiley and Star even make reference to the criticism that many people had concerning Twisted Pixels' DLC releases for The Maw, which is incredibly humorous and does a great job of addressing the critics.

Overall, Comic Jumper is a game that takes a level or two to feel better than average, but once you get going, the story and above average gameplay will grip you unmercifully. The banter between Smiley, Star and the other characters are as entertaining as we've ever seen in any title, and the story is always entertaining to the point that you'll find yourself laughing out loud on occasion. At $15, you'll get more innovation and fun than you will in most $60 retail titles. Sure, the game has a few flaws, but they are very easily overlooked when the overall product is this well-made.

XBLA Review: Hydrophobia

Hydrophobia has been billed as "A Digital Tsunami of Epic Proportion". Whenever we see the word "epic" in a description, we are always somewhat skeptical. In this case, however, there are few things more epic than the situation the characters in Hydrophobia are in.

In the beginning of the game, the character awakens and the player learns that several years ago, the world was flooded, wiping out much of the population. To take refuge, Kate, the main character, has joined thousands of other people on an enormous, city-sized ship called The Queen of the World. Kate decides to go out and partake in the "Party of the Century" to celebrate the anniversary of the ship itself.

Unfortunately, things go the way that they usually do during big celebrations in video games, that is, they don't quite go as expected. Rather than fireworks and fun, Kate is treated to a full-blown terrorist attack that threatens to plunder the ship and it's citizens into the overgrown ocean. While the ship slowly goes down, it looks like it's up to Kate to save the floating albatross.

It turns out the terrorists are operating on a fanaticized version of social theorist, Thomas Malthus' theory on population growth. With this, the terrorists operate on the idea that humanity has over-populated the earth to the point that the planet cannot support the race through its resources. Thus, the group has sprawled their slogans, "Save the World - Kill Yourself" among them, across the ship, creating an eerie setting.

As you play through the title, you'll notice numerous similarities between this game's style of play and that of another revolutionary title, Mirror's Edge. To get from point A to point B, Kate must free-run, climb and jump from ledges and ladders. Often times, she'll be doing so with obstacles closing in on her, such as an elevator that is about to see it's brakes fail while she's in the shaft, so she's pressed for time as well.

The Mirror's Edge style of gameplay is present in the combat as well. Throughout the adventure, Kate will encounter several of the Malthusian terrorists, all of which are heavily armed. Even later on, when Kate receives a pistol, she is still out-matched and out-skilled. Therefore, she must take roundabout methods to take out the patrolling enemies.

Since Kate must utilize various tactics, such as defeating enemies by destroying environmental hazards surrounding them. This is where the game shines. The water flows in an incredibly natural manner, which is unlike anything we've seen in any game before. Water can sweep you or your enemies away, so you must plan very carefully when attempting to take out enemies.

Despite the great aspects of the game, there are definitely a few misfires. The navigation, while not terrible, does feel a little jerky at times. Running and jumping will sometimes leave the player feeling a little out of control, which will cause a few deaths throughout the story. The free-running is also nowhere near as controlled or fluid as seen in other titles that use similar mechanics, like Assassin's Creed or the aforementioned Mirror's Edge.

Aside from a few strange textures and some pretty bad voice-acting, the presentation in Hydrophobia is among the best offered on the Xbox Live Arcade. The water, as mentioned before, looks and feels as good as it has in any title, retail, downloadable, or otherwise. The environmental damage, which also plays a big role in the title, works as well as one could hope.

Throughout the story, players will also put a device called a MAVI to good use. The MAVI, which acts kind of like a highly advanced iPad, will put several detective style tools at Kate's disposal. The device will be used to hack locked doors and computers, detect useful objects within the environment, and even scan ahead to alert Kate of danger. The device is very useful, but can feel like a bit of a burden at times, as some of the situations feel a bit forced.

In addition to the story, there are a few things that will add to the replayability, including a pretty cool challenge mode, which rewards players for keeping their chain multiplier up and using the room's hazards to their advantage. Also, while you're running through the campaign, you'll be coming across several different types of collectibles, including quotes from Thomas Malthus, which will help the player to better understand the motives of the social theorist.

Overall, Hydrophobia is one of the top Xbox Live Arcade titles of the past several months, but there are a few key things keeping it from being in the running for Downloadable Game of the Year. With a slightly improved free-running engine, as well as a better voice acting team, the game could've been one of the best titles available for the Xbox Live Arcade. Instead, what we get is a satisfying adventure that capitalizes upon the theme of a reluctant hero to the fullest. Hydrophobia is worth the purchase price of $15 if you are truly looking for something a little different, yet slightly familiar.