MegaCity (XBLIG, 2012)

MegaCity
Developed by ColePowered
Released for XBLIG (4/2012)
Also on Android & iOS

MegaCity is a puzzle game that takes a bit of inspiration from SimCity and mixes it with some puzzle elements to create a fun little time-waster. You have a queue on the left that shows what type of building you need to place while the rest of the screen is populated by empty lots you can place the property on. Certain types of buildings, like landfills, prisons or factories, will have a negative effect on the lots surrounding it and thus you want to avoid placing them close to residential areas if possible. There are also plots that will boost the value of the surrounding lots, such as police & fire stations, libraries and hospitals. In order to clear a column you'll need to meet a specific property value, shown at the top right of the screen. Each column also must contain at least one house or apartment. You lay down properties until you are unable to continue clearing columns out. Though there have been many puzzles games somewhat similar, the city-laying mechanic gives MegaCity a unique feel. The game requires a good amount of planning ahead mixed with a bit of luck, which blends nicely for an enjoyable time, plus it retailed for only a buck!

MegaCity was originally released for iPhone/iOS in August 2011. The developer ported the game over to XBLIG in April 2012 and Android in November 2012.  The developer, ColePowered, also released two other games for XBLIG: Planet Wars and Six O'Clock High.

Final Verdict: MegaCity is solid city-building puzzle game and a fun way to waste some time. I'd buy that for a dollar!

Related Links:
Six O'Clock High - Xbox Overview
MegaCity - GameFAQs
ColePowered - Official Site

Death Goat (XBLIG, 2013)

Death Goat
Developed by Nocturnal Studio
Released for XBLIG (3/2013)
Also on Mac/PC/Xbox One

Death Goat is a twin-stick shooter with satanic themes. The game sports heavy-metal music and lots of high-res art. Upon starting the game, you can select your stage and character but the trial offers only one of each. The controls seem to work well, though the score display is a bit obtuse and clutters more of the top of the screen than necessary. Death Goat seemed pretty decent in my time spent playing the demo version, but I think this game takes the cake for the lamest trial length I've ever seen, only allowing you to play through about a wave and a half of shooting spiders with skulls on their heads (how incredibly "metal"). I get the impression that there could be something good within the game, but if that's the best the developer could show me in the trial to get me to cough up $2.99 then no thanks. To me it feels as if the game is going to be of a short length if they cut the trial so short.

As stated, the little bit of Death Goat I got to play seemed decent, with some solid artwork and cool death animations on the enemies plus some nice weapon power-ups to pick up, but the trial ends before you really get a feel for the game. Heavy-metal heads will probably enjoy the soundtrack and themes, but personally I'd rather just boot up some Doom if I need some satanic-themed shooting action. Death Goat would originally release on XBLIG in March 2013, later receiving ports for PC/Mac in December 2015 and Xbox One in 2017.

Final Verdict: Probably the shortest trial I've come across on XBLIG, Death Goat seems like a decent twin-stick shooter that is overshadowed by many better offerings that go for $2 less than this one. Check it out if you're really into heavy-metal or satanic themes, otherwise it's safe to skip.

Related Links:
Death Goat - GameFAQs

Dark Storm Blast 360 (XBLIG, 2013)

Dark Storm Blast 360
Developed by MukagoSoftware Development
Released for XBLIG (8/2013)

Upon booting up Dark Storm Blast 360, I was under the impression this would likely turn out to be a mediocre twin-stick shooter. It is indeed a twin-stick shooter, but the developers decided to try something a bit different, thus the game has the player in a vehicle with tank-style controls. If you pull in the direction you want to go on both sticks you'll move that way, however to turn you'll have to invert the sticks from each other. It's a bit funky and I never reached a point in the trial where it felt natural. The game has the same mediocre graphics you'd expect from a MukagoSoftware title and some of the color usage is questionable. The game is totally playable, there's just nothing very remarkable about it. Enemies will occasionally drop weapon power-ups to give you a hand. When you die you'll have to restart the stage you're on and the difficulty ramps up pretty high, though the difficulty was mostly the controls giving me a hard time lining up my shots. While not a terrible game, Dark Storm Blast 360 is quite unremarkable and once the indie games store shuts down this one will likely be completely forgotten.

Final Verdict: Dark Storm Blast 360 is a twin-stick shooter with a clunky control scheme that makes it tough to play. Don't bother with this one.

Related Links:
Dark Storm Blast 360 - GameFAQs

Cubicity! (XBLIG, 2014)

Cubicity!
Developed by Aly Ameen
Released for XBLIG (1/2014)
Also on PC

Cubicity! is a physics-based puzzle game where you play as a character suspended from a rope holding a magnet and your movement being restricted to just left and right. The idea is to move boxes around using your magnet and drop the appropriate box on the designated area to move on to the next stage. The levels will have various platforms and obstacles you'll have to work your way around. As you progress through the game, which contains around sixty levels, you'll gain some new abilities to help keep things feeling fresh. Some of the later stages can get pretty tricky and will require quick reflexes in addition to puzzle solving. The controls in Cubicity! work well enough, though aiming the blocks with any precision can be a bit of a pain in certain areas as you have to be quite accurate. The graphic design in the game is very well done, featuring high-res sprites drawn by a very competent artist. Despite the gripe about the controls and a couple frustrating stages, I enjoyed my time with Cubicity! and would recommend puzzle aficionados to give it a go. The same developer also released Professional $tealer back in 2011.

Final Verdict: Cubicity! is a physics-based puzzle game that's fun to play despite the controls (aiming to be specific) being a bit of an issue. For a dollar (80 Microsoft points) you'll get your money's worth.

Related Links:
Professional $tealer - Xbox Overview
Cubicity! - GameFAQs
Cubicity! for PC - Steam

Beat Hazard (XBLIG, 2009)

Beat Hazard
Developed by ShadowRage
Released for XBLIG (10/2009)
Also on Linux/Mac/PC

Beat Hazard is a twin-stick shooter featuring levels that are randomly generated by the music track playing in the background. It also allows you to use your own music, making for some hefty replay value. The controls are good other than the ship's movement being a tad loose, where you kind of drift rather than come to a stop when letting off the stick. It's not a game-breaker and once you get used to the handling it's not a major issue. Beat Hazard's graphics are impressive and flashy, though anybody who experiences seizures from flashing images should steer clear of this one. The background contains a visualizer that pulsates to the beat of the music and the intensity of enemy waves ramps up with the music. The fact that you can load your own music into the game in addition to several tracks provided in the game from the get-go really makes Beat Hazard a sweet deal, even considering it retails for $4.99. However, you may want to get it on PC for easier access to your files. On the Xbox 360 version, if you don't have your music on your hard drive you'll have to link up with your computer via Windows Media Player, which is a program that has been discontinued in Windows 10 (but you can still download the old program if you search around). 

Beat Hazard is a nice take on the twin-stick shooter genre and it would have been cool to see it ported over to XBLA. The game would see an updated version titled Beat Hazard Ultra for several systems in 2011, but due to the developer struggling to release the title to XBLA with no luck, it took the game until 2013 before it was finally released for XBLIG. Beat Hazard Ultra adds new enemies, bosses, weapons, tighter controls and a new boss rush mode as well so you would probably be better off just getting that version.

Final Verdict: Beat Hazard is an excellent twin-stick shooter with levels generated from music. The game allows you to load your own music for massive replay value.

Related Links:
Beat Hazard - GameFAQs
Beat Hazard on PC - Steam
Beat Hazard Ultra on PC - Steam

Wizorb (XBLIG, 2011)

Wizorb
Developed by Tribute Games
Released for XBLIG (9/2011)
Also on iOS/Linux/Macintosh/Ouya/PC/PSP

Wizorb is a BreakOut-style game where you control a paddle at the bottom of the screen and bounce a ball upwards in order to eliminate all the blocks. Wizorb features some of the best pixel-art I've seen on XBLIG, and the overall aesthetic gives the game an authentic 16-bit feel with just about every detail.  The game takes some inspiration from RPG titles, early on it features a town you can explore and speak with the local folk. While speaking with the people, you'll see that everyone's homes have been destroyed and they are seeking a donation from you to help rebuild. Donating and helping them rebuild their homes can get you some nice perks for your character. Once you leave the town, you have an overworld map featuring five different worlds, each packed with twelve levels and culminating in a boss battle at the end.

In Wizorb your character is a wizard, so obviously there has to be some magic involved. You have the ability to do stuff like launch fireballs and use wind to change the direction of the ball mid-flight. The fireballs in particular are great for taking out those hard-to-hit blocks. There is a meter in place to limit your use of these powers and it can be replenished by collecting the potion bottles that drop from the bricks. Every so often you'll be able to open a door at the top of the screen, and if you get your ball up to the door before clearing the stage you can enter a bonus level. Bonus levels will either have a shop or give you free goodies. Shops will have some nice upgrades available to give you an upper hand.

The controls in Wizorb are tight and responsive, and I never really felt like I had any trouble getting my paddle to where I wanted it. The analog is fast and responsive while the d-pad is slowed down for more meticulous movement. The game is packed full of content, containing a total of sixty-five levels. The twelve levels per stage is a bit long and you are unable to progress to the next stage until you've cleared all those levels. The game does let you save & quit at any board, however you will lose your score progress if that kind of thing matters to you. Some of the later levels in the game can get quite challenging, with lots of unbreakable objects obstructing clear shots at the bricks you need to break. Wizorb is easily worthy of your dollar, having been dropped from it's original retail price of $2.99.

Also, as a neat bit of trivia the game was developed by former Eidos/Ubisoft employees who worked on such titles as Scott Pilgrim vs the World and Rayman 3. With this kind of experience it's no wonder Wizorb displays a level of polish seldom seen on XBLIG. This game should have easily been picked up by Microsoft and released for the Xbox Live Arcade, where it certainly would have garnered more of the attention it deserves. The game has gone on to see ports on many platforms and has received positive reception from anyone I've seen mention it.

Final Verdict: Wizorb is the best thing to happen to BreakOut style games since Arkanoid. Fans of ball & paddle games will absolutely adore this title.

Related Links:
Wizorb - GameFAQs
Wizorb on PC - Steam
Tribute Games - Official Site

XBLIG - The End Is Near!

Brace yourselves for the last days of Xbox Live Indie Games are upon us! There is just a little over a week left to sift through and snag the titles you want before the store front is taken down! While many of the great games that came out on the service have been ported to other platforms, there is still a good number of games that remained exclusive to the service that are worth your time! Feel free to browse the reviews and throw any questions/requests you have my way, if there's a particular type of game you're looking for on the service I can probably find it for you!

Oh, and if you're reading this thanks for taking the time to check out my blog, for some reason it doesn't seem to pop up on Google search, hence the lack of comments on anything and nobody knowing about the existence of this blog.

Growing Pains (XBLIG, 2011)

Growing Pains
Developed by Smudged Cat Games
Released for XBLIG (11/2011)
Also on PC

Growing Pains is a 2D platformer where you must navigate through the levels and reach the end before your character grows too large. You can constrict your growth, which will use up your power meter, and you also have the ability to expand your character. The controls feel tight and it's intuitive how your character sticks to walls. The game features three difficulty levels and nine stages in the full version. On the hard difficulty the game will really test the masochist within you as the challenge ramps up furiously. There's a handy zoom function for when your character gets so tiny you'll struggle to see it. The graphics are a bit psychedelic and overall fit the tone of the game rather well. Overall, Growing Pains is a nice effort from Smudged Cat Games, especially after the XBLIG price was dropped to just a buck before the service was shut down (it was originally $2.99). Growing Pains was also released for PC so it hasn't been completely lost to the world like so many other XBLIG titles.

Final Verdict: Growing Pains is a 2D platformer with a cool growing/shrinking character gimmick. Not a bad way to spend a buck!

Related Links:
Smudged Cat Games - Xbox Overview
Growing Pains - GameFAQs
Growing Pains on PC - Steam 
Smudged Cat Games - Official Site

Vintage Hero (XBLIG, 2013)

Vintage Hero
Developed by Frog The Door Games
Released for XBLIG (7/2013)
Also on PC

Vintage Hero is a 2D action-platformer heavily inspired by the 8-bit Mega Man games. It's a very competent clone too, right down to the blaster attached to the protagonist's hand and the inability to duck or fire in any direction other than straight ahead. The game is presented in pixel art, something of a cross between 8/16-bit and while some of the art is a bit goofy in the story panels, the in-game graphics are very well done. After you take in the story (or mash A relentlessly until it ends) which revolves around a custodian rising to the occasion to save the day, you are given four different stages to select from. You'll have time to progress a bit through the first level before the trial expires. I enjoyed my brief time with Vintage Hero and I'll likely have to go ahead and grab this one. Expect a fleshed out review if I ever get around to playing the full game!

Final Verdict: Vintage Hero is a solid 2D action-platformer that will appeal to fans of the classic NES Mega Man titles.

Related Links:
Vintage Hero - GameFAQs
Vintage Hero on PC - Steam
Frog the Door Games - Official Site

Horse Race Starter ホースレーススターター (XBLIG, 2009)

ホースレーススターター Horse Race Starter
Developed by dot zo games
Released for XBLIG (8/2009)

ホースレーススターター　Horse Race Starter is among the strangest titles I've encountered on XBLIG. Once you begin the game, you are greeted to a green field, you'll see a pixelated crowd at the bottom and your character in a box to the right of the audience. A speech bubble pops out of your guy, stating "Press A," which when pressed will fire the pistol and off from the right side of the screen the horses come racing in. They very small, but made of some solid pixel art with great animations, including riders falling off their horse occasionally. The odd thing is, you have no control over the actual race at all, you just shoot the gun to start the race, watch the race and once it's over the game will load up a new screen at which point you rinse and repeat. I'm not sure if it ever ends, and the programmers didn't put a pause game feature to exit out properly, so you'll have to dashboard out when you're finished. I played the game for the trial's duration, and I must say there was something strangely calming about just sitting back watching the pixelated horses racing, but I can't say this is a title I have any desire to return to just the same.

Like of all dot zo's other titles on XBLIG, the game retailed for only a dollar so while the gameplay was limited it was also very cheap. The game was listed in the store with the Japanese kanji and was a bit tricky to find in the XBLIG back when it was still open. In order to find it without searching in the store on the 360, you had to navigate to indie games, select the genre tab, and you'll find it under "Other," after scrollling through like 250+ titles to find it (it was way in the back). The game title was somehow misspelled as Horse Race Stater, further making this title a bit more confusing. Horse Race Starter definitely isn't dot zo's best output, but it is still an interesting title nonetheless.

Final Verdict: ホースレーススターター　Horse Race Starter is an odd title where you press the A button to fire gun, watch the horses race and then do it all over again, and again, and again... If you like oddball games you may like this one.

Related Links:
Nyan-Tech - Xbox Overview
Ninja Bros - Xbox Overview
Ninja Escape - Xbox Overview
Ninja Train - Xbox Overview
Horse Race Starter - GameFAQs

Crosstown (XBLIG, 2009)

Crosstown
Developed by Studio Hunty
Released for XBLIG (10/2009)

Crosstown is based on an old Commodore game called Crossroads, which I've never played due to the fact I've never owned or even seen a Commodore system. Crosstown is a single-screen maze game similar to the many arcade titles of the '80's. You play as a little guy armed with a gun who can blast through walls. Your goal is to collect all the "qreds," little ring-shaped objects scattered about the playing field. As you progress the game will introduce several types of enemies with different behaviors. Enemies will respawn infinitely until you've collected all the qreds. Enemies in later levels can get pretty tricky, some of them will eat through walls and others will eat the qreds you're trying to collect. Once the enemies are blasted the eaten qred will respawn on the playfield.  

Crosstown features 40 levels in the arcade mode. There's a nice feature in the game that allows you to skip any levels you've cleared without dying on previous runs. Also selectable at the main menu is endless mode, which allows you to play forever if you'd like. The game also supports up to four players. Upon loading the game, you're greeted with an awesome FMV intro where you see the game inserted into the computer and booted up. Crosstown originally retailed for $4.99, but has since been reduced to $1. I recommend this game to those who love the old single-screen maze games of decades past. The developers have an interesting history with a varied backlog of titles, many for iOS and Android but going back as far as the Game Boy Color! Check out their site in the links below.

Final Verdict: Crosstown is an excellent tribute the single-screen maze titles that dominated back in the early '80's. Plus it's only a buck!

Related Links:
Crosstown - GameFAQs
Studio Hunty - Official Site

Ninja Bros. (XBLIG, 2009)

Ninja Bros.
Developed by dot zo games
Released for XBLIG (10/2009)

Ninja Bros. is a 2D puzzle/platformer title with 8-bit style pixel graphics. The game has a unique gimmick which involves you controlling up to four different ninjas simultaneously, each on their own separate playfield. While they each move at the same time when you press a direction, they jump independently and are controlled by the face button matching their color scheme. Each ninja's playfield features a door, which often has to be unlocked with a switch, that you must navigate all ninjas to in order to complete the stage. It makes for some very unique puzzles that will really make you think once you get further in. The game makes great utilization of its gimmick and levels get more intricate as you progress. Several levels feature collectibles so there's some replay incentive if you want to go back and snag them all. The game also has "Ninja Awards," which function as achievements, which is a nice way to round out the package. Ninja Bros. offers up four different difficulties and for a dollar that's more replay value than you could ask for! Fans of old-school puzzle platformers should definitely give this one a look! As far as I cant tell this game only ever released exclusively for XBLIG so it will be quite tough to play this one if you didn't already have it downloaded.

Final Verdict: Ninja Bros. is a unique & well-crafted 2D puzzle-platformer that fans of the genre will have a blast playing! At only one dollar this one was a steal back when XBLIG was around!

Related Links:
Nyan-Tech - Xbox Overview
Ninja Escape - Xbox Overview
Ninja Train - Xbox Overview
Horse Race Starter - Xbox Overview
Ninja Bros. - GameFAQs
Ninja Bros. - Giant Bomb

Bioerosion (XBLIG, 2011)

Bioerosion
Developed by MukagoSoftware Development
Released for XBLIG (1/2011)

Bioerosion is a third-person shooter where you go around shooting what I assume are supposed to be aliens. The game features some pretty crude 3D graphics that definitely have that Mukagosoft feel to them, meaning they look like something from a budget PlayStation 2 title at best. In the first stage, you're tasked with walking around a city trying to find five balls that are floating in the air. Once you find a ball, you'll have to kill the enemies surrounding it and then shoot the ball until it explodes. Bioerosion's controls make aiming an absolute chore. The vertical and horizontal sensitivity are drastically different, making something as simple as lining up your shot an exercise in frustration and there is no option to make adjustments to this. You have two different modes of fire, a single and triple-shot, both of which will build up a meter and will overheat your gun if fired too frequently. Bioerosion could have been a fun kusoge title to play but the aiming is so awful your patience will be tested and you'll likely shut it off before the trial even expires. If you're looking for Japanese developed games on XBLIG, I'd recommend you check out some of MukagoSoftware Development's other more playable titles, like Leucistic Wyvern and the Undead Syndrome.

Final Verdict: Bioerosion is a lame third-person shooter with terrible aiming controls. Don't bother with this one.

Related Links:
Mukagosoftware Development - Xbox Overview
Bioerosion - GameFAQs
Mukagosoftware Development - Official Site

Glow Arcade Racer (XBLIG, 2011)

Glow Arcade Racer
Developed by Chris Rands
Released for XBLIG (10/2011)

Glow Arcade Racer is a simple arcade racing title. The racers are represented by little arrows and the track is made up of squares. Everything glows neon and looks like it's being powered by LED lights. At the title screen, you have the choice between play, build or modify game types. The build option allows you to create your own tracks and the game types is just where you select how many laps you want the race to last. Once you've entered the play menu you're given the option to select between cruise, drift, turbo, hyper and chase modes. In the trial mode I was able to test out cruise and drift modes. Cruise mode was decent fun, and was just a traditional race around a track. There are even power-ups you can pick and fire at your opponents. Drift mode, however, is a mess. The frame-rate chugs in this mode, likely down in the 15 FPS region which is unforgivable in a racing game. Glow Arcade Racer made a decent first impression with cruise mode, but drift mode made this a game I didn't have much desire to come back to.

Final Verdict: Glow Arcade Racer is a decent game, but the frame-rate issues make certain modes difficult to enjoy. Check out Little Racers Street for your indie racer needs.