Each week, as part of our live Saturday Morning Hangover show (Saturdays, 10am Pacific on Destructoid’s Justin.tv channel), Jordan Devore and I play through the trial modes of new releases on Xbox Live Indie Games. But what if you missed out on the show? How would you obtain our valuable insight and staggering charm? That simply wouldn’t do.
Starting today, I’ll be breaking down the week’s releases with quick thoughts on each of the titles. Keep in mind that these impressions are based solely on the content available in the trial mode of the game and are not necessarily reflective of the final product. To kick things off, we have a surprisingly strong lineup of games with less outright junk than I’m used to seeing.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t a whole mess of junk, however.
Asteroid Pooper
Developed by Vithar Software
Released on 01/28/2011
80 Microsoft Points
Don’t let the juvenile title fool you. Asteroid Pooper is a clever play on the classic Asteroids game. You control a ship and must collect particles floating in space to score points. As particles are collected, your ship releases asteroids into the playfield which will deal damage should you collide with them. A simple and surprisingly fun arcade title, Asteroid Pooper also features 2-player local multiplayer and is a fair deal at 80 MS points.
Did we buy it?: Yes. Simple, light fun priced appropriately.
Dirchie Kart
Developed by BrownBot
Released on 01/22/2011
240 Microsoft Points
Dirchie Kart is a solid kart racing title with all of the features one expects from that genre. Players can choose from three different karts to drive in multiple race formats and tracks. Weapons found on the track can be deployed against enemies, while running out of health mid-race will reduce your cart down to a slow-moving scooter until you can hit a pit stop. Features a number of party game modes for up to four players in multiplayer in addition to standard races. A good effort, though it doesn’t seem to do much of anything to further the genre or distinguish itself as a superior title.
Did we buy it?: No. The amount of content seems fine and the quality is acceptable but I’d rather just play Mario Kart.
Zombie Attack!
Developed by Fun Factory Entertainment
Released on 01/25/2011
80 Microsoft Points
A shooting gallery game in which you take the role of a sniper tasked with defending innocent civilians during a zombie outbreak. Zombies and civilians run (or jog awkwardly) back and forth across the screen while you take potshots at them. Interesting only for its manual-loading mechanic which painfully forces you to take the time to load each individual bullet.
Did we buy it?: That’s a big negative, over.
Bail!
Developed by Team Legendre
Released on 01/23/2011
80 Microsoft Points
Bail! is a snow-sledding race title. Players slide their way down Colorado mountain trails, trying to keep from flying right off the edge. While ostensibly all about speed, the game also tracks stats like maximum airtime and cheerfully announces whenever you exceed some trivial record or another. Should you decide, you can at any time bail from the sled (though you’ll have to do the race again) and tracks gain greater variety through the ability to play them in a range of weather conditions. Also features an offline, 2-player mode.
Did we buy it?: No. Our already existing distaste for Avatars in games aside, this wasn’t particularly fun. The physics and controls are sound, but ugly and dull on the whole.
Sweepy
Developed by Kali
Released on 01/26/2011
80 Microsoft Points
A puzzle game rooted in titles like Panel de Pon, players score points by creating matches of three or more colored panels. Making quick matches increases a score multiplier and matches of four or more spawn panels which can explode or have other special effects. Sweepy also includes a two-player competitive mode, but its bland visuals are off-putting and the control scheme is different enough from its contemporaries as to confuse the very people most likely to enjoy it.
Did we buy it?: We swept right on past and didn’t look back.
Space Racer
Developed by Frog The Door
Released on 01/23/2011
80 Microsoft Points
A simple, vector graphics racing game. Players pilot a spaceship down what’s essentially an extraterrestrial drag racing strip with obstacles against either the CPU or another player. Collect gems on the track to build a boost meter for an extra edge. Four ships are available to choose from, differing in a variety of stats including top speed, acceleration, damage resistance and more. The game is fast and pretty fun but seems to lack depth beyond track memorization.
Did we buy it?: No. This is a fun game and I’m sure it will hook some people. Worth playing the trial although that will probably be enough for most folks.
Snowball Showdown
Developed by The Unallied
Released on 01/26/2011
80 Microsoft Points
This is an ugly top-down multiplayer shooter. Players are kids with an assortment of snowball-firing weapons and games are simple Deathmatch with team options available. The game is playable online with up to twenty people, which is neat, but the offline splitscreen play is terrible. While there is an interesting mechanic for collecting ammo from the environment, it doesn’t save what’s a dull experience overall.
Did we buy it?: Hell would have to freeze over first.
Jigsaw Guru
Developed by Fairy Engine LLC
Released on 01/23/2011
80 Microsoft Points
Put together a variety of jigsaw puzzles with piece numbers ranging from low to really low. If you want to do jigsaw puzzles on your Xbox, the definitive product already exists in the form of CTXM’s Puzzle Arcade. This functions well and is priced on the cheap, but limitations on size and variety keep this from being an actual value in comparison.
Did we buy it?: Clearly not.
Death N’ Failure
Developed by MatthewM
Released on 01/27/2011
80 Microsoft Points
This punishing perfection platformer is murder on patience. Sensitive controls and an extremely low margin for error make each level of Death N’ Failure a slog, nevermind that you control a round object with a questionably accurate hitbox. Practice on the part of the player could overcome these issues but it hardly seems worth the effort.
Did we buy it?: I fail to see a reason why we should.
Beer Pong
Developed by Utopioneer Games
Released on 01/24/2011
80 Microsoft Points
The game enjoyed at college campuses around the world can, once again, be played on your Xbox 360. This low-frills physics game can be played either against another player or the CPU. The physics are good but the sensitivity is off the charts. Shots aren’t made any easier by the game introducing “drunk” effects (such as causing the angle cursor to move erratically) the more drinks you’re forced to take. It’s a worthwhile concept that more or less winds up breaking the game. I can’t imagine trying to play this while legitimately drinking, but I don’t want to play it sober either.
Did we buy it?: There’s no amount of booze in the world that could compel this purchase.
Maid-san’s Caving Adventure
Developed by kohei
Released on 01/25/2011
80 Microsoft Points
A charming platformer with stealth gameplay elements. Players must guide a maid out of a cave filled with trolls with only the ability to jump and to tremble. Trembling makes the maid invisible to enemies who have not already seen her, but slowly reduces the player’s field of vision while being used. Reaching the end of a stage is not enough to move on, as players must also be mindful of their score which is determined by how quickly and stealthily the stage is completed. Challenging and visually attractive.
Did we buy it?: Indeed we did. It’s almost as if it were maid for us.
Bonded Realities
Developed by Mike Ventron
Released on 01/26/2011
80 Microsoft Points
A fantasy RPG. Somehow, a child (who later finds himself turned into some sort of anthropomorphic animal) has is fate intertwined with an amnesiac roaming around with a sword. The demo length isn’t enough time to really get a handle on this one, but it’s combat system is right out of Dragon Quest while punny enemies and attacks seem inspired by Earthbound. The visual design is nothing to get excited about but gets the job done and the story has potential at the very least.
Did we buy it?: No, but that’s more due to personal taste than any shortcomings with the game.
radiangames Ballistic
Developed by Radiangames
Released on 01/28/2011
80 Microsoft Points
Yet another twin-stick shooter. One of the main gimmicks involves a list of enhancements. These power-ups stay with you and can be switched out every five waves, with slots for additional power-ups coming every ten levels. Pull the trigger to shoot faster, but hold it too long and you’ll overheat. A simple and attractive shooter which suffers primarily from over-saturation of its niche, rather than any defect with design.
Did we buy it?: No. We have enough twin-stick shooters at the moment, thanks.
Asteroid Sharpshooter
Developed by johdex
Released on 01/28/2011
80 Microsoft Points
Another take on the Asteroids game, this one puts you in the cockpit of a ship in first-person view in the midst of a crowded asteroid field. Players are tasked with destroying a certain number of asteroids in a series of increasingly complex waves, but only specific, colored rocks can be shot. A scanner makes these easier to see, but they’re tiny and hard to spot even then and even the more dexterous of the game’s two ships has problems with maneuverability. Probably didn’t help its case coming out on the same day as the similarly-named Asteroid Pooper, neither. Offline, split-screen multiplayer is available, so you can be bored with a friend.
Did we buy it?: No. It’s a bit on the dull side and the awkward controls made this an easy pass.
