Chester (XBLIG, 2011)

Chester
Developed by Brilliant Blue-G
Released for XBLIG (8/2011)
Also on PC

Chester is a 2D platformer with an interesting "style change" mechanic in it. As you play through the game, you'll unlock various styles that you can switch to on the fly. One style might make everything look as if it were drawn on paper while another will turn everything to blocks like an old primitive game. Everything looks different after changing the style and they all provide a little perk of some sort, for instance in the block style you fall a tad bit slower. Your character is armed with a projectile attack and a fireball. You can press the jump button twice for a double-jump. The platforming mechanics seem pretty sound, though I did have some issues jumping while sliding on walls at times. You'll also be able to unlock new characters as you progress, and like the styles you can switch them up on the fly. Certain characters do more damage against certain enemies. There's a lot going in Chester, every level has lots of stuff lying around to collect and the game features four difficulties. The game retailed for a buck on XBLIG and platforming fans would easily get their moneys' worth out of Chester. The game would see a re-mastered version for PC in February 2017, titled Chester One, which could be considered the definitive version of the game. I only had a chance to experience the trial version of the game, but perhaps in the future if/when I get the full game on PC I'll revisit this review.

Final Verdict: Chester is a solid 2D platformer with some interesting ideas that help it stand out. Recommended for platformer fans.

Related Links:
Chester - GameFAQs
Chester One - Steam

Mega Shooter 11 (XBLIG, 2011)

Mega Shooter 11
Developed by infiniteplay
Released for XBLIG (10/2011)

Mega Shooter 11 is a horizontal shmup that makes a great first impression. Upon booting the game up I was greeted with some nice NES-style pixel graphics and a game that instantly brought back memories of Life Force (or Salamander depending on where you reside). Unfortunately I quickly became rather bored by the uninspired level design, with the same couple of enemies coming at you over and over. Enemy bullets defy all logic and pass right through solid objects. There are several areas featuring the same assets just slightly mixed around, making for some very repetitive level design. I really wanted to like Mega Shooter 11 as it really looks the part of a retro shooter, unfortunately it lacked the gameplay to make me want to come back for more once the trial had ended.

Final Verdict: Mega Shooter 11 looks pretty awesome in screen shots, but the gameplay is lacking the polish that the best shooters on XBLIG have to offer for the same price. You can safely skip this one.

Related Links:
Mega Shooter 11 - GameFAQs

Colosseum (XBLIG, 2008)

Colosseum
Developed by Shortfuse Games
Released for XBLIG (11/2008)

Colosseum is a 3D arena fighter with support for up to four players locally. It's not too common to see a 3D game on XBLIG and Colosseum does a decent job with it. One thing different from most other fighters is that your attacks are mapped to the right analog stick rather than the face buttons. You also have dodge, block and run functions assigned to the top buttons. The face buttons on the pad are used for special features, such as a health restore or shield boost that uses a meter you build up while attacking your foes. The action moves along at a brisk pace, though there were a few instances I had trouble keeping tabs on which character I was. The trial limits your character selection to two, but in the full version there are seventeen different fighters to select from (at least the game claims, it looked like twelve on the character select screen to me). By completing in-game challenges, you can unlock new pieces of armor and weapons to customize your fighters, so this helps add some replay value. Colosseum is a competent fighter that retails for $2.99, which probably hurt sales for this game when there were so many other great games available for just $1 on XBLIG.

Final Verdict: Colosseum is a very playable arena fighter and you can tell the developer put some time into it, however the high price for an XBLIG title likely kept most away.

Related Links:
Colosseum - GameFAQs

Apple Jack 2 (XBLIG, 2012)

Apple Jack 2
Developed by My Owl Software
Released for XBLIG (6/2012)
Also on PC

Apple Jack 2 is more of the same goodness that the first game offered, this time with a much more polished overall presentation. There are now three difficulties to select from and also a new rewind feature to help minimize frustration. On easy you have unlimited rewinds, on normal you are granted one rewind per checkpoint and of course on hard you have no rewinds. The game features 61 levels and there are some pretty tough ones in here. Apple Jack 2 is a stellar title by XBLIG standards and is better than many XBLA titles. If you like 2D puzzle-platformers with a solid challenge then be sure to give Apple Jack 2 a look! I was initially drawn to this game by the Super Mario Bros 2 inspired title card and was not disappointed with the game I discovered!

Final Verdict: Developer My Owl Software managed to step it up a few notches for Apple Jack 2. A must-try for fans of 2D puzzle/platformer games!

Related Links:
Apple Jack - Xbox Overview
Apple Jack 2 - GameFAQs
Apple Jack 1&2 - Steam
My Owl Software Official Website

NYAN-TECH (XBLIG, 2011)

NYAN-TECH
Developed by Dot-Zo Games
Released for XBLIG (2/2011)

NYAN-TECH is a 2D platformer with a unique twist. There are blocks in each level that can be activated and turned off with the push of the corresponding button. This is definitely an interesting mechanic and it gives NYAN-TECH a feeling of freshness compared to other puzzle-platformers. The game features forty levels and the challenge factor ramps up as you go along. Stages feature a key you must collect before you're allowed to hit the exit door and you'll be required to juggle turning on/off the blocks as you navigate across platforms. It gets very tricky in the later stages but I never found myself frustrated at the game, probably because the controls are extremely tight and I always felt that I was at fault when I fell into a pit of spikes. NYAN-TECH features some great, simple pixel-art that packs some great animation. If you're a fan of retro 2D platformers, NYAN-TECH is only a buck and is worth every penny. Or it was, as unfortunately this was exclusive to the XBLIG and hasn't been released for anything else since.

Final Verdict: NYAN-TECH is a simple yet addicting 2D platformer and back when it was available on XBLIG it sold for $1. Definitely was worth every penny!

Related Links:
Ninja Bros - Xbox Overview
Ninja Escape - Xbox Overview
Ninja Train - Xbox Overview
Horse Race Starter - Xbox Overview
Nyan-Tech Review - XBLIG.co
Nyan-Tech Review - Indie Gamer Chick
Nyan-Tech - GameFAQs

Smooth Operators (XBLIG, 2012)

Smooth Operators
Developed by Andreas Heydeck
Released for XBLIG (9/2012)
Also on PC & iOS

Smooth Operators: Call Center Chaos is very unique title on the XBLIG service where you build and control operations for a call center. The graphics are all done with pixels and they certainly pack a lot of charm. You have access to buildings for operations, service, office, food, restrooms and recreation. These can be placed horizontally or vertically, and you can construct some pretty massive 40-floor buildings. The game introduces new elements slowly, unlocking a new item at the beginning of each workday. Eventually in addition to your standard employees, you'll be able to hire managers, janitors and IT personnel. If it sounds complicated, don't worry as the game makes it all super simple.

The controls are well mapped and I never once had an issue with placing something where I wanted it to go. You have the ability to slow-down/speed-up time with the left bumper. Once you have everything laid down and your employees hired you can crank the speed up to 5x and watch everything at work. As a fan of simulation games (especially SimCity!) I absolutely adore Smooth Operators. There's really not much else like it on the 360 and I highly recommend it to gamers who dig simulation style games. Even though you can't get it for XBLIG, the game was also released for the iOS and PC so if your into simulation style games you might want to give it a look.

Final Verdict: Smooth Operators isn't the deepest sim title out there, but it provides more than enough to entertain genre fans for hours!

Related Links:
Smooth Operators - GameFAQs 
Smooth Operators for PC - Steam

Hurdle Turtle (XBLIG, 2010)

Hurdle Turtle
Developed by Holmade Games
Released for XBLIG (6/2010)
Also on iOS

Hurdle Turtle is about as simple as they come. You guide your turtle along a track while avoiding and jumping over the obstacles coming your way. The goal is to simply survive for as long as possible. Hurdle Turtle also supports up to two players locally. The title card for the game is made to look like one of the old NES black boxes, and is certainly what attracted me to this title when I got it back in 2010.

Hurdle Turtle plays similar to the Turbo Tunnel stage from the NES classic Battletoads. It's a heck of a lot easier than that game on its normal setting, but if you try the insane stage you will get a pretty intense challenge. Hurdle Turtle gives you three difficulties, each with a different backdrop and appropriately themed obstacles. The graphics are done with simple, blocky pixels. Personally I would have preferred if they would have put a little more detail in them to make it look more like an NES-era game, but they are serviceable. For some reason it annoys me how the headband on the turtle lines up perfectly with the track lines. Controls are simple and responsive, allowing you to move up, down and jump. While Hurdle Turtle is a very simple game, it can deliver some fun for short periods of time if you're in the mood for it. There were also two level packs released on the marketplace that added some new themed levels. Holmade Games would also go on to release a sequel.

Final Verdict: If you enjoyed the turbo tunnel stages from Battletoads, Hurdle Turtle has three stages with very similar action!

Related Links:
Hurdle Turtle Official Trailer - YouTube
Holmade Games Hurdle Turtle - Blogspot
Hurdle Turtle - GameFAQs

P3 (XBLIG, 2012)

P3
Developed by Laser Space Horse Games
Released for XBLIG (1/2012)

P3 is a twin-stick shooter released for XBLIG. With the multitude of titles released in this genre, there's no doubt several decent titles will get buried in the bunch. P3 has a cool concept, where you pilot a nano-ship and the play-field is a petri dish that has a nucleus in the center of it. Your objective is to protect the nucleus by blasting the incoming bacteria and collect the energy they leave behind to keep the nucleus active.

The controls in P3 work well and the land mine and speed adjustment buttons are a nice bonus. The game looks nice but seems to have a tough time running at a steady 60 FPS like most of these twin-stick shooters do and seems like it stays more in the 30 FPS region. This makes quite a difference in a type of game where precise movement and aiming is constantly required. The game also only lasts fourteen waves, at which point the game deems the nucleus safe. P3 doesn't keep tabs on high scores so there's not going to be much to bring you back after you've cleared it. Overall, P3 is not a bad game but one I find hard to recommend when there are so many quality shooters on the 360.

Final Verdict: P3 is a decent twin-stick shooter with a cool concept that needed a bit more refinement to be at its best, but even in its released state it's an above average effort from the developers just tough to recommend when there are so many twin-stick shooters on the platform.

Related Links:
P3 - GameFAQs

Wolfenstein 3D (XBLA, 2009)

Wolfenstein 3D
Developed by iD Software
Ported by Nerve Software
Published by Activision/Bethesda
Released for XBLA (6/2009)
Also on 3DO/GBA/Jaguar/Mac/Mobile/PC/PS3/SNES
Backwards Compatible on Xbox One

The classic Wolfenstein 3D was originally released for PC back in May 1992. Developed by iD Software, the game is the original first-person shooter and laid much of the groundwork for what would become Doom. I remember being absolutely blown away by this game the first time I played it. I'd never witnessed a game where the violence was happening right in your face like this and as a ten-year old it felt like a horror game to me at the time, what with all the creepy Nazi camps and bones scattered about. The game might not look so impressive to the younger crowd, but Wolfenstein 3D with it's smooth-scaling sprites and first-person perspective was a big deal back when it came out.

The PC classic was ported over to the Xbox Live Arcade and originally released in 2009 released to coincide with Raven Software's Wolfenstein, published by Activision who held the rights to the franchise at the time. In 2013, the game was released once again after being de-listed, this time published by Bethesda and re-issued just before the release of Wolfenstein: The New Order. Both versions of the game are exactly the same except for the publisher credits. For achievement hunters, it was possible to unlock achievements separately for both releases of the game if you happen to enjoy Wolfenstein 3D enough to play through it twice.

This is, for better or worse, pretty much a straight-up port of the PC classic. It contains all six episodes that were included in the registered version. Each episode contains nine levels and one hidden level that's accessed by finding a secret exit, for a grand total of sixty levels. So if you enjoy the maze-like layouts of the levels, you'll get a lot of bang for your buck. Remember, this is the first FPS, so there's not a whole lot of variety when it comes to your arsenal. When you first begin you'll be armed with only a handgun and your knife. As you progress through the game, you'll eventually find an automatic rifle and a minigun. After acquiring the next best weapon there's really no point in going back to the handgun, so you won't have to worry about switching between your weapons during battle. This is a good thing in Wolfenstein though, because the key to staying alive is to always shoot first when you encounter an enemy. On the harder difficulties, an enemy getting off even a single shot before you can easily mean death. This game is old-school, meaning you have a limited number of lives, but can obtain more by picking up 1-ups in hidden areas or racking up enough score. Score can be gained by picking up treasures scattered about, mostly found in secret areas. The whole lives system is pretty much void thanks to the fact you can save & load at any point in the game, but can be used to add additional challenge if one wants to avoid using saves.

While there are a large amount of levels to play through, the variety between them isn't the greatest. There are some nice details scattered about, like tables, pots and skeleton bones, which helps compensate a bit for the lack of floor and ceiling textures. There are also different colored sections within levels, which helps make it a bit easier to tell where you've already been and need to go, though unless you're using a map it's pretty much guaranteed you'll lose your way at least a few times throughout the game (there is no in-game map of any sort). The episodes vary a bit in quality and the third episode is definitely my favorite, as this is the one where you face off against Hitler in the last level. In the third episode the level design is lot more simple and straight-forward, ramping up the difficulty with enemy placement instead of complicated mazes like most of the other levels in the game. The last three episodes are definitely not as memorable as the initial three, mainly due to even more maze-like layouts and a lack of new enemies, but they are still worth a play if you enjoyed the first three episodes and add quite a bit of replay value. There's a particularly nasty level to be found in the fourth episode (level 5), where one of the keys you'll need to complete the level is hidden behind a secret wall.

Performance-wise, Wolfenstein 3D runs smooth as you'd expect from a console like the 360 with one notable exception. For some reason whenever you press against a wall to reveal a secret there's a bit of a pause, as if the game is loading or something. The game also pauses when you're unlocking an achievement, but this is something I've run across in many titles before and is not terribly uncommon. The game did freeze on me a few times at the end of level results screen, but I was still able to access the Xbox menu for an easy exit to the dashboard. The controls are mapped out to the pad in a manner that makes the game easy to play. The run button is assigned to the left trigger so it's easy to toggle on and off. You can't turn around as fast as you can with the mouse, so make sure to use that save if you don't know what lies around a corner. When it comes to the save and load functions they work just as you'd expect though a quick-save button would have been a welcome addition. The game does contain leaderboards that rank you score on each level, but unfortunately there's no way to save or watch replays.

Wolfenstein 3D is now going on over 26 years since its release at the time of this writing, and time certainly has not been as kind to this game as it has with later FPS games. While I personally still found the game enjoyable, I chalk a large portion of that up to the severe nostalgia kick I get from playing it. Even as somebody who grew up absolutely loving this game, I can admit that the action can be quite repetitive and the maze-like level design borders on obnoxious at times. Whether you're coming back to it or playing it for the first time, Wolfenstein 3D can still deliver a good time, but it hasn't aged as well in the gameplay department as later FPS titles like Duke Nukem 3D or Doom. If you've already finished those and need more retro FPS action, Wolfenstein 3D should hold you over for a little while.

Final Verdict: Wolfenstein 3D is a certified classic and this is a good port, however the game has not aged all that well, featuring simple gameplay with little variety. The game is still fun and can be enjoyed by those looking for a retro blast from the past.

Related Links:
Buy Wolfenstein 3D - Xbox Marketplace
Bethesda - Official Site
Wolfenstein 3D - GameFAQs
Wolfenstein 3D - Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
Wolfenstein 3D - True Achievements
Wolfenstein 3D Ports (Stop Skeletons From Fighting) - YouTube
History of Wolfenstein (Gaming Historian) - YouTube

Mark of the Ninja (XBLA, 2012) | X-Box Overview

Mark of the Ninja
Developed by Klei Entertainment
Published by Microsoft Game Studios
Released for Xbox 360 (9/2012)
Also on Linux/Mac/PC/PS4/Switch/Xbox One

Back in the '80's, ninjas were immensely popular and the majority of young boys were fascinated by the stealth assassins. I'd compare the popularity of the ninja back then to how big zombies were in the last decade or so. There was Ninja Gaiden, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the American Ninja movies just to name a few examples. For some reason or another, the popularity of the ninja steadily declined over the years thus we saw less ninjas in popular media. There were only a handful of ninja-themed titles that I'm aware of released in the 360's life cycle and Mark of the Ninja stands tall as one of the best pure ninja games I've played on any system.

Klei Entertainment, the same crew that brought us the Shank series, created Mark of the Ninja using the same engine as those games. Players familiar with the Shank games will immediately notice the similarities both in the art-style and character movement/animation. The major differences between Shank and Mark of the Ninja lies in the gameplay department. While the Shank games were beat 'em ups, Mark of the Ninja is focused entirely on stealth (as any true ninja game should!).

The graphics in Mark of the Ninja are quite dark, which is understandable considering the game is all about sneaking around in the shadows. The backgrounds are all well illustrated with lots of detail and there are several layers to help give a sense of depth. The characters look very similar to Shank and definitely remind me of modern cartoons. Initially I was not the biggest fan of the character art style, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the game in the slightest and I warmed up to it as I continued to play. The game makes heavy use of shadows and lighting effects really pop to let you know when your character is illuminated. While at a glance it can be hard to tell what's going in the game at times (mostly due to the darkness), once you play the game a bit and become accommodated you'll be able to navigate with ease.

Mark of the Ninja features twelve stages spread across four differently themed areas. There's a solid variety between the stages, both in the layouts and objectives. One stage will have you setting fire to a building by opening several gas vents while another will have you infiltrate and kill a particular target. New elements are often added as you progress through the game to help keep things fresh. There are frequent checkpoints so messing up or dying never really sets you back too far, eliminating much of the frustration associated with stealth titles. The game runs a bit longer than your average downloadable arcade title, but with the variety on offer here this is definitely a good thing.

Mark of the Ninja features an upgrade system to help add a sense of progression. While this is more or less a trope of modern video games, it works really well here as it allows the player to become familiar with each new ability as they're unlocked and doesn't overwhelm you with abilities from the start. You'll earn upgrade points based on three things: overall score, collectibles found and three sub objectives found on each level. This provides good incentive to go back and replay levels to get more upgrade points. The upgrades range from new techniques like stealth kills and attack moves to equipment such as caltrops, noise makers and smoke bombs. Before starting a new level you have the option to select your loadout and scattered throughout the game you'll find shrines you can use if you wish to change your loadout mid-mission. The game also features a focus technique, which when using most play styles will stop time and allow you to aim your darts, attack or distraction items.

Mark of the Ninja features six different play styles you'll unlock as you progress through the game. These will change the way you approach each level and definitely add a nice layer of replay-ability to the game. If you want more stealth, there's one style (path of silence) where running no longer makes noise at the expense of attack items and a sword. On the other end of the spectrum you have the path of might which adds additional armor and restores health from stealth kills, but your focus will no longer stop time. After you've selected your style you also have a choice between four distraction and attack items (assuming your style allows for it). The distraction items are noise makers, smoke bombs, distraction flares and a cardboard box. These are all useful in certain scenarios, as smoke bombs will temporarily disable laser tripwires, flares blind guards with night vision goggles and the box makes it so you can hide anywhere on the spot. The attack items on offer are the spike mine, terror dart, caltrops and ravenous insects. All of these attack items are useful in different ways and can assist with taking down some of the tougher enemies with ease. All in all, the various loadout configurations add a nice layer of depth to the game and allow you to replay stages using different techniques to complete them.

Mark of the Ninja is an excellent stealth game and provides a wealth of content, especially when compared to your average XBLA title. There's a lot to go back and do for each stage, a well implemented upgrade system and even a new game plus feature that allows you to carry your upgrades over and replay the levels with increased difficulty. There are even two separate endings to wrap up the game's interesting plot. The amount of time you can potentially spend with this game rivals many games that received disc releases. Klei Entertainment really did a fantastic job with this one and Microsoft would have been smart to bring the company on board as an exclusive developer for Xbox platforms, but unfortunately this was not the case and Klei has gone on to support the PS4 over the One in the current generation of consoles. In October 2018, a remastered version of this game would release for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch.

Final Verdict: Mark of the Ninja is a fantastic stealth title, easily among the best stealth games on the system and up there with the greats on XBLA. Ninja fans don't miss this one!

DLC: Mark of the Ninja Special Edition
Released 8/2013

Just short of a year after the release of the original game, Mark of the Ninja received some DLC in the form of Special Edition. This grants players an additional level, developer commentary, a new play style and a few new gadgets that can all be used in the original levels as well. The additional level is fun with a design that fits in well with the original stages, featuring a story that serves as a prequel to the main game. The new play style is interesting, taking away the sword and allowing players to knockout enemies instead of killing them. KO'd enemies can be revived if discovered by another enemy. In order to compensate for this the player is allowed to hold more distraction and attack items in their inventory.

The special edition DLC introduces new distraction and attack items as well. Dusk moths are added to the distraction items and fungal spores are the new attack item. The dusk moths work similar to the smoke when thrown at enemies, distracting them and allowing you to move in for an easy kill. Unlike the smoke bombs, dusk moths can be thrown at lights to temporarily block them out, which can come in handy for those indestructible spotlights. The fungal spores will take down a target when thrown at them and will unleash a nasty cloud which will incapacitate anybody who comes to investigate the body. The DLC also contains developer commentary, which delivers an interesting look into the game's design. As a heads up I'd recommend making sure it's turned off on your first playthrough as it does contain several spoilers. In closing, the DLC for Mark of the Ninja is definitely worth checking out for those who enjoyed the main game.

Final Verdict: Even though the Special Edition DLC only contains one level, the extra play style and items that carry over into the main campaign make it worth a look, especially for just $4.99.

Related Links:
Buy Mark of the Ninja - Xbox Marketplace
Mark of the Ninja - Official Klei Entertainment Page
Mark of the Ninja - Metacritic
Mark of the Ninja - GameFAQs
Mark of the Ninja - True Achievements
Mark of the Ninja Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements

X-Box Live Free Trial Codes | X-Box Overview

When purchasing physical versions of games new, I'd sometimes find a card inside the game offering a free trial of Xbox Live. The best bet for finding these tends to be in games published by Microsoft Studios, but there are of course exceptions. When I purchased my Xbox One S, there was a card enclosed granting a 14-day trial, so these can also be found when purchasing a new system.

With my Xbox Live subscription recently expiring and being too broke to reinstate it right now, I went digging around to find any of these free trials I had lying around. Unfortunately it seems like I'd already used the majority of these and kept them in the game for some reason, but I did manage to find a 48-hour trial that felt like it ended just as fast as I entered the code (2 days goes by way too quick!). Unfortunately the 14-day trial that came with my Xbox One S expired before I ever got to use it. I never knew these things had an expiration date, and it doesn't seem to be clearly documented in the fine print (it just says that it "automatically expires" but provides no indication as to when!). Not all of these codes expire, as the 2-day code I used was from an old Xbox 360 game, so make sure to look at the fine print to determine if you need to hurry up and use the code!

I've read reports from other Xbox users stating that they couldn't redeem any of their codes, and after contacting Microsoft for assistance they were told that these were for new customers only and existing Xbox Live users are unable to use them. In my experience this is incorrect as I've used several of these on my primary Xbox account over the years with no issues. It's also worth noting that you have access to download whatever free Games with Gold are being offered at the time, even if just using a 48-hour trial. You'll still be able to play the free Xbox 360 titles even after your Gold expires, but unfortunately the Xbox One free games require an Xbox Live subscription to play.