Feeding Frenzy is not one of the first games that come to mind on XBLA that you would think desperately needs a sequel. Even with a skeptical mind going in, Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown reminds players of how much fun it is to swallow underwater creatures over and over again.
Gameplay is extremely simple and will appeal to hardcore and casual gamers alike. The objective is to eat fish bigger than your fish. As you eat more fish, your character grows and can eat the next size. Controls are somewhat loose and take time getting used to. Your fish floats through the water and sometimes you have to steer it away from the larger fish more often than you should have to. There is no rumble feedback, which is always disappointing.
The interface on top of the screen gets in the way of the fish's action at the top of the ocean. Some new variations on the original gameplay include jumping out of the water and gulping down insects in the air. Also, by pressing the B-button, swallowing a school of fish is strangely satisfying. Graphics are simple, yet stylish and work well for an underwater XBLA game. FF2's sound effects are a little too simple, yet somewhat soothing (minus the announcer's Feeding Frenzy! call during every stage).
The story behind the developers of Shred Nebula should make gamers fall in love with this title. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
CrutchTime Games is the definition of a small game developer. Working out of a converted garage, two first time game developers and a few former Street Fighter designers pitched an idea to Microsoft and this week saw their title released to the public on XBLA.
Shred Nebula is a top down Sci-Fi space shooter in which the player can only shoot in the direction the ship is facing. The objective of each level is to locate and scan a beacon. However, it is not always clear what the objective is and you will spend time flying around the level waiting for the next text box to pop up.
With an array of new iPhone games appearing each day, Cro-Mag Rally attempts to speed ahead of its competition with its fast paced driving gameplay.
Racing consists of a standard four-player, three-lap race around the track. An impressive nine courses are available, ranging from a desert to a medieval setting. Instead of moving forward and reverse by tilting the iPhone, the user needs to press on a forward/reverse button throughout the race. Ten cart racers are available from the start with different strengths for each. Pickups similar to what are found in Mario Kart are placed throughout the levels.
The biggest issue with Cro-Mag Rally is the lack of any progression. Everything is unlocked from the start and there are no stats compiled. Developer Pangea Software designed this as the ultimate pick up and play experience.
Controlling your character is a bit of a chore. The game is extremely sensitive to even the slightest movement; however there are options to change the sensitivity. Cro-Mag Rally's graphics are nothing special but get the job done for the handheld experience. However, heavy pop in occurs, especially when using a speed boost.
The price has recently been lowered from $10 to $6, which makes this shallow, yet fun, title easier to recommend to on-the-go gamers.
Enigmo, which was first released for Mac OS X in 2003, is one of the first puzzle games to make its way to the iPhone. Throughout the 50 game levels, the objective is to move various forms of liquid from point A to point B in the quickest time possible. Players use items to change the direction of falling water, oil and lava drops. The level ends when 40 drops move into the proper container. Touch controls are used to zoom in and out and for positioning pieces throughout the levels.
If 50 levels aren't enough to satisfy, there are numerous additional downloadable levels available for no additional charge.
This title is not for the casual puzzle genre fan. Each level will take a while to figure out and it will be tempting to check YouTube for the solutions, especially in later levels. However, it makes it all the more satisfying when discovering the solution.
The 3-D levels work perfectly on the iPhone with simple but crisp visuals. Enigmo is unique to the app store and a refreshing puzzler that does not involve block movement found in so many of the available puzzlers out there.
A new release parodying classic video game characters sounds like a sure fire hit. However, that is not necessarily the case with the new N-Gage game, Reset Generation. Available for a fee on Nokia phones and for free online at www.resetgeneration.com, this combination of puzzle and strategy will not hold the attention of most people looking for an easy to play, quick time filling experience. Reset Generation would have been better suited for a traditional console rather than a cell phone because it is overly complex. However, with the amount of gameplay depth; a small devoted fan base is likely to develop.
With an overall weak retail launch lineup, the XBOX 360 found its first must buy game in a new medium, a downloadable title. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved was a smash hit and was the most talked about game in the first few months of the system's release. Since that time in late 2005, we have seen the downloadable game industry flourish, but finally, the much anticipated sequel his virtual store shelves as the first title in XBOX 360's Summer of Arcade series.
With XBLA full of dual joystick shooters and an overabundance of arcade ports, new releases sometimes become stale. Go! Go! Break Steady strays from this mold and as a combination of Zuma and Boom Boom Rocket, with break dancing sprinkled in, offers lighthearted, addictive gameplay.
Double D Dodgeball, an adaptation of the old schoolyard game, is a one trick pony that does not provide much in the way of variety or options. Gameplay is shallow and not very engaging and will only appeal to those desperate for a dodgeball fix. Double D Dodgeball includes two gameplay types: western and eastern. Western is the standard single elimination format and eastern gives players a second chance. After getting hit, players are moved to the outer border where they can still participate in the action. Each game is extremely short, and with such simple 2D graphics, this title does not correlate to the amount of fun had during school recess.
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- Review: Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown
- Feeding Frenzy is not one of the first games that come to mind on XBLA that you would think desperately needs a sequel. Even with a skeptical mind going in, Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown reminds players of how much fun it is to swallow underwater creatures over and over again.
- http://www.gameproarcade.com/article/103507/review-feeding-frenzy-2-shipwreck-showdown/
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