Shoot 1UP (XBLIG, 2010)

Shoot 1UP
Developed by Mommy's Best Games
Released for XBLIG (2/2010)
Also on PC/Windows Mobile

Shoot 1UP is a vertical shmup with an interesting mechanic: every time you collect a 1-up, rather than just add it to your livestock the ship appears next to yours and there seems to be no limit on how many you can gather. You can contract and expand your fleet of ships using the triggers, and the farther apart your ships are the more massive the laser beam they generate will be. They'll also be more prone to enemy fire of course, creating a nice risk/reward mechanic. The graphics are all done in high-res art that looks very good for the most part. The boss designs are unique and the levels themselves never really feel like they overstay their welcome. The stages have sections in them where the path branches off and you're given the choice to select between the regular path straight ahead or to veer off to the side for a more difficult route. These are very unique in that your ship will turn and the game will temporarily turn into a horizontal shooter until you eventually change course and revert back to vertical orientation. The game has its own built-in achievements you can unlock as you play. Overall Shoot 1UP is a very admirable effort to do something fresh with the shmup genre and is absolutely worth the dollar asking price.

Final Verdict: A fresh take on the vertical shmup, Shoot 1UP is definitely worth a look for fans of the genre.

Related Links:
XBLIG Shmups - Xbox Overview 
Mommy's Best Games - Xbox Overview
Shoot 1UP - GameFAQs
Shoot 1UP on PC - Steam
Shoot 1UP on Windows Mobile - Microsoft
Mommy's Best Games - Official Site
Shoot 1UP Review - XBLA Fans
Shoot 1UP Review - Indie Gamer Chick

Explosionade (XBLIG, 2010)

Explosionade
Developed by Mommy's Best Games
Released for Xbox Live Indie Games (10/2010)
Also on PC

Explosionade is the third release from Mommy's Best Games (MBG) for XBLIG. After Weapon of Choice and Shoot 1Up, it was clear that these guys were putting out some of the best games on the service, and Explosionade doesn't disappoint. The game is a 2D run 'n gun with some platforming, where you'll play as a dude in a mech suit blasting everything while working your way to the exit. The game features the same art style as MBG's other efforts and looks far better than your average offering on XBLIG.

In Explosionade players take control of a mech suit while blasting your way through 40 short but action packed levels. The presentation is nice overall with detailed graphics and a zoom feature to help you see more of the playfield when needed. There's some written dialogue before stages every now and then, containing the kind of silliness we've come to expect from the developer. The title allows for a second player to join in on the action for some nice couch co-op. With this being an XBLIG release, there are no options for online co-op.

Explosionade features three difficulty modes: chilled, normal and serious. Different difficulties will have their own enemy arrangements, making for some decent replay value. After choosing a difficulty you also have the option to pick the game speed, ranging from 25% to 200%. Most levels are quite small and can be completed within a few minutes, though there are some secrets tucked away for those who like to explore. There are a total of 40 levels with the option to resume from whatever level you left off on when coming back. There are also 4 boss encounters throughout the game. The game isn't terribly challenging but is still a fun play, and they do have some nice options provided to help boost the difficulty if you so wish. Explosionade is easy to pick up and play due to the fact you're allowed to continue from the last stage you left off at via the main menu.

In addition to your regular firearm, which is conveniently mapped to the right analog stick for easy aiming, you also have a grenade launcher. You're allowed to fire up to three at a time, at which point you'll have to reload. In Explosionade you'll find gold bars scattered about and for every ten collected you'll earn temporary infinite grenades for some real explosive action. The grenades can blow up destructible walls, which will often open a new path in the stage. The game also has the Mommy's Best Games pies scattered about (sometimes hidden) on some of the levels, serving as the games collectibles.

The main menu offers a high score table which keeps track of the top 10 scores. There is also an awards menu, serving as the in-game achievements, but since this is an indie title you won't earn gamerscore for completing these objectives, but it is still a nice feature. The options mode allows you to customize your controls as well as a few various hud and brightness settings. In 2015, five years after the game's initial release on the 360, Explosionade would see a release on Steam, preventing this one from getting completely lost in time. The Steam version also has achievement support, so if you're into 2D mech-shooters you may want to give this one a look.

Final Verdict: Explosionade is a fun 2D mech-shooter/platformer offering up 40 levels of blasting action. Mommy's Best Games were easily some of the best devs putting out games for XBLIG!

Related Links:
Buy Explosionade - Steam
Explosionade - Official Mommy's Best Games Site
Explosionade Dev Delaying Release - Engadget.com
Explosionade - GameFAQs

Weapon of Choice (XBLIG, 2008)

Weapon of Choice
Developed by Mommy's Best Games
Released for XBLIG (11/2008)
Also on PC

Weapon of Choice was the first release from Mommy's Best Games and it's a 2D run & gunner. The graphics consist of high-res detailed art and it looks fantastic, easily one of the best looking XBLIG titles of its time. There are three characters to select from at the start, each equipped with a different primary weapon. You're given a quick rundown on the controls and allowed to try them out after selecting your character. The first thing I noticed when dropped into the game was that the frame-rate is not the smoothest and everything just seems to move a bit clunky. I warmed up to it quick, but at first it is a bit jarring. The controls work well and the everything is quite responsive despite the frame-rate issue. 

The enemy designs are absolutely nuts and you'll find yourself wanting to keep playing just to see what insanity lies in store for the next boss battle. Levels branch off at the end allowing you to see different levels on each playthrough and contains four different endings, adding some nice replay value. There's also a feature called death-brushing, where time will slow down if you're close to hitting something fatal allowing you a chance to save yourself, making this a friendly experience for those new to the run & gun genre. Two-player simultaneous action is available locally. For more experienced players, there are six varying degrees of difficulty to ensure you feel challenged. Weapon of Choice is a solid first effort from Mommy's Best Games, and would plant the seeds for their future run & gun title Serious Sam: Double D which plays quite similar.

Final Verdict: Weapon of Choice is a crazy 2D run & gun that will mostly cater to fans of the genre but is quite accessible to novice players as well.

Game Type (XBLIG, 2011)

Game Type
Developed by Mommy's Best Games
Released for XBLIG (12/2011)
Also Released on PC

Game Type is definitely a unique experience on XBLIG. The title of the game is a parody on an older version of the 360 Live dashboard, where indie titles were buried several screens in from the front and were hidden under a general section called "Game Type." Even in later updates, the indie games were still kind of tucked away in the back (before being removed entirely), but those who never experienced the old dashboard will miss out on some of the humor. The developer was nice enough to provide an explanation for this at the beginning.

Game Type begins on a mock dashboard on your "Mediaball" system. You need to navigate through the various areas on the dash to locate the Game Type icon start the game. The dashboard looks pretty authentic and even has ads for other games released on XBLIG on it! Once you've located the Game Type section, you can begin the game proper. The actual game is a horizontal shmup, complete with shot and laser firing modes and a character with a tiny hit-box. You'll be blasting some strange enemies including cats, crabs and donuts. The game definitely gets points for zaniness. The controls are quite responsive and the two firing modes work as they should. Game Type is fun but very short, and after a handful of stages the game starts its loop over until you inevitably die, caravan shooter style. What's here is great fun, and the fact that it loops adds some replay value and in my opinion the game is worth the dollar asking price.

Final Verdict: Game Type is a humorous parody of the old 360 dashboard and a solid horizontal shmup all for the low price of $1. Definitely a unique title.

Related Links:
Game Type - GameFAQs
Mommy's Best Games - Official Site