Reviews - by Tamizander - December 1, 2009 - 16:50 UTC - Be first to Comment!
Each week, staff member Tamizander takes a look at one of the lowest-selling and lowest-rated XLB Indie games. This combination should produce a game that belongs in the ‘Community Trash’, but it also may unearth a gem that needs to be salvaged and recycled. The views expressed in the ‘Community Trash’ articles are solely those of the writer and do not collectively express the views of Xbox|Insider.
I’m back again this week with another dip into the trash pile to find some Community Trash for you, my loyal readers. Yes, I know I’ve only done one column already, but if you’re already back, I’m going to call you loyal. Yes, twice means loyal in my book. Two dates equals marriage. Hell, I think that people should share cars after one date. I digress… This week, I’m reviewing XBL Indie game Fireworks Spectacular. This game was developed by XNA developer GoVids and was released at the start of September. I’m not usually easy to please, but the fact that ‘spectacular’ was in the name got my fingers twitching for some amazing fireworks action.
Yeah…no.
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Reviews - by Tamizander - November 20, 2009 - 03:43 UTC - 2 Comments
I was in heaven back in the early 90s. Back then, adventure games were running rampant and providing the best entertainment. Recently, we’ve been reintroduced to the genre with the amazing Sam and Max series and Monkey Island games. Now, I know that adventure games aren’t FPS or even open world RPG games, but they do provide an excellent distraction to the bevy of cookie cutter shooters. When I heard about Axel and Pixel, a new IP from Silver Wish Games and 2K Play, I wanted to check it out. More so than any other genre, it’s hard to break into adventure games. Unfortunately, it’s when the game attempts to mix other genres into the gameplay that the game starts to break down and become confused.
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Features - by Tamizander - November 20, 2009 - 03:36 UTC - Be first to Comment!
Bless me, Gamers, for I have sinned. It’s been…well, I’ve actually never made a confession like this before because I, quite honestly, never thought that my gaming habits were sins. Deep down, though, I know that I’m going to Gamer’s Hell. I mean, I’m an achievement whore. I don’t turn my nose up at that word like other people. But, I do wonder if my habits cause me to lose out on other possible ‘achievements’ in my gaming career, even before Xbox 360.
So, without further ado, here is my list of regrets, embarrassments , and pains. Here are my gaming sins.
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Reviews - by Tamizander - November 17, 2009 - 19:38 UTC - 1 Comment
There’s got to be something said for a game that gives you all of the joy of a table top card game, but removes all the frustration of keeping cards and finding a large enough space to play. Panzer General: Allied Assault is the most recent addition in the long line of Panzer General games, dating back to 1994. While it is notable that none of the Panzer General games were originally table top card games, this turned based series still holds the spirit and gameplay of that genre. This time around, developer Petroglyph Games and publisher Ubisoft deliver an experience that should satisfy fans of the Panzer General series and entertain fans of table top card games. However, the snail’s pace speed may deter some fans from staying for the full ride.
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Reviews - by Tamizander - November 17, 2009 - 19:34 UTC - Be first to Comment!
Each week, staff member Tamizander takes a look at one of the lowest-selling and lowest-rated XLB Indie games. This combination should produce a game that belongs in the ‘Community Trash’, but it also may unearth a gem that needs to be salvaged and recycled. The views expressed in the ‘Community Trash’ articles are solely those of the writer and do not collectively express the views of Xbox|Insider.
When tackling my first ‘Community Trash’ article, I wasn’t sure of the first community game to play and review. Let’s admit it, Indie Games aren’t the most popular games, nor are they the most well known games. There are some that stand out, like Avatar Golf, which gain popularity due to amazing gameplay and low price (Indie games are often only 160 MSPTs). Reviewing one of those games would have been easy. I don’t go for easy – I enjoy digging deep. I wanted to learn more about the Indie games the community doesn’t buy, and rates poorly. That’s when I stumbled upon Crazy Coins, a coin catching game developed by ByteMaster (aka Kevin D. Wolf from Florida, USA). Full Story
Reviews - by Tamizander - October 27, 2009 - 20:00 UTC - Be first to Comment!
I’ve always been a fan of video games created from an existing I.P., especially one from television. More than companion pieces, they should enhance the experience in some way, or at least give hours of unbridled fun featuring your favorite characters. I was pleasantly pleased when developer Double Six announced a South Park arcade game and I was further titillated when discovered that it was a tower defense game. In recent times, tower defense games have had a major surge in popularity, despite being around the internets for years. While South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play! doesn’t bring a complete overhaul to the genre, it does mix the crude humor of the television series with amazing co-op gameplay. Unfortunately, the single player experience left me wanting more, and feeling a bit bored.
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Reviews - by Tamizander - October 26, 2009 - 19:01 UTC - Be first to Comment!
I’ve never played a Tomb Raider game on last-gen consoles. I’m not a long time fan, I’ll admit that. I wasn’t totally hooked on Lara Croft until Tomb Raider: Legend, the developer’s first game made for the Xbox 360. Most people are not aware that Tomb Raider: Legend was made for next and last-gen consoles. Tomb Raider: Anniversary was a remake of Lara’s original adventures. Lastly, developer Crystal Dynamics gives us Lara’s new adventure, and sequel that continues the story of Tomb Raider: Legend, Tomb Raider: Underworld. This time, I can honestly say that Lara is picking up steam. Despite the many failed outings in the past, Lara proves that she should return to leading-lady status.
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News - by Tamizander - October 6, 2009 - 22:31 UTC - Be first to Comment!
We know you love contests, and we’re here to give it to you. For the next XboxInsider contest, we’re going to give you a chance to win the latest game from Team17, Worms 2: Armageddon.
It is the sequel to the popular Worms on XBLA, released in 2007. It has several new features and modes, as well as popular returning weapons from past games in the Worms series. It also has an all new single player campaign mode with 35 missions.
For the contest, come to our contest forum, register if you haven’t already (you should have!), and create your own Worms-style weapon. Be as creative as you can! Contest will last for two weeks and the winner will both have his creation discussed and his name announced on the next podcast.
Get crackin’!
Forum Thread (ENTER HERE!)
Reviews - by Tamizander - September 12, 2009 - 00:06 UTC - Be first to Comment!
In the past, I’ve made some pretty harsh comments about movie tie-in games. We often know that they are sloppily put together, short, and uninspired. With X-Men Origins: Wolverine, developer Raven Software and publisher Activision deliver us an amazing hack and slash game that actually surprised me with the polish and effort they put into the game. Wolverine, being one of the most popular and brutal comic book characters, actually comes to life on the screen. But in the end, I was left with an empty feeling, partially because of the repetitive gameplay and sad attempt at fleshing out a story.
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Features - by Tamizander - September 5, 2009 - 17:54 UTC - 1 Comment
In addition to the TrialsHD review and interview we’ve posted this week, we’re happy to announce that RedLynx has given XboxInsider some TrialsHD codes to share with our community. We hope you’ve enjoyed our TrialsHD coverage these past few days, and now you can experience some of the things discussed in the interview, or in Pesmare’s review.
The contest is posted below. To enter, you must post your answer in the competition thread in our official forums here at XboxInsider. Register for the forums, take a look around, and take a look at some of our other threads while you are there.
CONTEST: We all know that the rider in TrialsHD is unnamed. However, that’s no fun. Make up a show name (ex. Evel Knievel) for your rider and post in the forum thread. Please include your Gamertag so we can send you a message with the download code.
Good luck, everyone! Winners will be announced next Saturday via the Podcast!
RedLynx Interview + Trials HD Review
