Review of 'Chime' for Xbox 360 LIVE Arcade

Developed by Zoë Mode, Chime is one of the most creative puzzle games available from the Xbox Live Arcade. In Chime players place Tetris-like blocks on a grid to create “quads” with the goal of obtaining 100% coverage of the map. The background music of Chime is indirectly controlled by the player.

Review of Hydro Thunder Hurricane for Xbox 360 LIVE Arcade

Hydro Thunder Hurricane for Xbox 360 LIVE Arcade was developed by Vector Unit and is the long awaited sequel to the classic arcade and Dreamcast smash hit Hydro Thunder. Hydro Thunder Hurricane is the second featured game in this year’s Summer of Arcade, following on the footsteps of Limbo, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Review of Doom II for Xbox 360 LIVE Arcade

Doom II, one of the most iconic video games of all time, has hit Xbox LIVE Arcade for a cool 800 Microsoft points. However, is a game that is almost two decades old worth $10? The answer is a resounding yes.

Review of Abduction Action! for Xbox 360

Abduction Action! for Xbox 360 is an over the top and hilarious indie game available from the Xbox Live Marketplace that places players in the role as the “worst pilot” in alien history. In Abduction Action! you have the opportunity of a lifetime to pilot an alien spaceship when your sister marries a high ranking commander in the alien military.

According to the description of Abduction Action! for Xbox 360 at the Fun Infused Games website:

“Developers at Fun Infused Games spent the last ten years and billions of Earth dollars researching and testing the latest in UFO technology to bring Xbox gamers the single most realistic UFO flight simulator ever created. The tractor beam, turbo mechanism, and flash bombs have all been painstakingly created to exactly match their real world counterparts. The flight system is so realistic that many Alien testers couldn’t tell they weren’t piloting a real UFO.”

Controls in Abduction Action! are incredibly simple and intuitive. One drawback that should be noted is that there isn’t any precision control in flying the UFO, however what can realistically be expected from the worst alien pilot in history?

Abduction Action! lets players abduct cows through the use of your UFO’s tractor beam, or splatter them onto innocent bystanders by letting them go. When angry farmers decide to fight back, haystacks become incredibly potent weapons in the grip of your tractor beam.

The tractor beam is not the only weapon at your UFO’s disposal however. Your UFO can launch “flash bombs”. The flash bombs will momentarily stun enemies on the screen and help you accomplish your objectives. Players only receive two flash bombs per stage, so use them wisely! Your UFO can also speed up and become momentarily invincible. Not too shabby.

The graphics in Abduction Action! for Xbox 360 are reminiscent of Super Nintendo, and the game is a lot more visually appealing compared to other Xbox 360 indie games that are available from the Xbox Live Marketplace. There are a few interesting surprises that pop onto the screen over the course of the game (think Mortal Kombat 2). The sound effects in Abduction Action! are whimsical and fit the game perfectly.

What really makes Abduction Action! for Xbox 360 a great game is it’s price. For less than the purchase price of a one liter bottle of soda, one can have hours of entertainment and laughs.

Abduction Action! for Xbox 360 costs 80 Microsoft Points ($1) from the Xbox Live Marketplace. For more information on Abduction Action! for Xbox 360, visit funinfused.com. Did you enjoy this article? Please share it and subscribe for updates.

Review of Relativity for Xbox 360

Relativity for Xbox 360 is a unique real time strategy and simulation game developed by Purple Games. Relativity is based upon Einstein’s theory of the relativity of space and time. In a nutshell, players colonize planets and wage war on other civilizations in spaceships that utilize Einstein’s laws of relativity to make it to their destination.

According to the narration from in the game and the Relativity’s website:

“While Relativity uses some pretty crazy physics concepts you really don’t need to understand them to play this game. Hopefully some physics will rub off as you are playing the game and you will suddenly start impressing your friends in the pub with phrases like “space/time continuum” and “time dilation”.

One of the greatest features in Relativity for Xbox 360 is the narration and tutorials. The tutorials in Relativity for Xbox 360 are immaculately executed and do a fantastic job of preparing players to play the game itself. The music inRelativity for Xbox 360 is also very pleasant to listen to.

The graphics in Relativity for Xbox 360 are certainly nothing for one to drop their jaw at. What Relativity for Xbox 360 lacks in its visual department, it makes up for in its game play.

Relativity for Xbox 360 has more depth to it than one would typically expect out of an Xbox 360 indie title. While there are only ten levels to play in the campaign, each level takes a good half hour to full hour to beat. Relativity for Xbox 360 can be compared to StarCraft or Darwinia+ (read my review of Darwinia+ here). In all three games, players manage and build their resources before conquering their rivals.

During my analysis of Relativity for Xbox 360 by Purple Games there were a couple of features (or lack thereof) that became annoying. While one does have the ability to switch easily between planets with a couple flicks of their fingers, there is no way to change the overhead display. The combination of being able to zoom the camera out far in order to see more solar systems and rotate the camera angle would have made navigating Relativity much more easier.

The second aspect of Relativity that became abundantly apparent is that the levels feel like they drag on forever, even though they may only last from half an hour to an hour. Because the populations of all planets are constantly growing, if one is not a fast player the computer can quickly amass tens of thousands of inhabitants that need to be destroyed. Luckily there is a time dilation weapon at your disposal to help out. It would have been nicer if the levels in Relativity were shorter and more plentiful.

Relativity for Xbox 360 is available from the Xbox Live Marketplace for 240 Microsoft Points ($3). When all of the positive features of Relativity for Xbox 360 (including its low price) are added up, the $3 price point makes this Xbox indie game a must own. More information about Relativity can be obtained through the Purple Games website purplegames.yolasite.com.

Review of JoyJoy for Xbox 360

JoyJoy for Xbox 360 is a colorful twin-stick space shooter that can provide hours of entertainment for just 80 Microsoft Points ($1). Unlike most shooters, JoyJoy allows players to have unlimited lives. An endless supply of lives can be important when facing a never ending horde, or ‘wave’, of enemies. A friend can join in on the action in either the campaign or challenge modes.