When the Futurelooks team was over in Los Angeles for the E3 Expo in June, we had the opportunity to hang out with the good people at Microsoft to see what they had in store for the weeks and months to come. We explored everything from Twitter integration to Project Natal, but neither of those have hit the masses yet. What we have been able to enjoy, however, is the Xbox Live Arcade Summer of Arcade.
This marked the second consecutive summer where Microsoft teamed up with other game developers and publishers to load the Xbox Live Arcade with a series of stellar titles. Yeah, you could go outside and play, but why would you do that when you have these games to enjoy? Let’s have a look back at the summer that was.
TMNT Turtles in Time Reshelled: Cowabunga, Dude
Some games are better left untouched. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 could have used a cosmetic upgrade, but I’m glad that the gameplay is the same. Unfortunately, the reverse seems to be true for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Reshelled is an HD-upgraded version of the original Turtles in Time arcade game, taking our reptilian warriors on a battle through the ages.
I have to admit that I really enjoyed the side-scrolling beat-em-up genre back in the 80s and 90s, but the gameplay feels very shallow by today’s standards. You go around, mash on the attack button, face off against some boss characters, and save the day while avoiding the risk of getting shell-shocked.
The updated graphics may please your eyes, but I can’t see myself playing this more than once or twice, even with online support. For better beat-em-up action, I’d rather play Castle Crashers. TMNT sells for 1200 points.
Overall Rating: 6.0/10
Trials HD: Riding into a Head Slam
What do you get when you take Excitebike, remove the other racers, toss in some beautiful HD graphics, and plunge your biker into an explosive industrial environment? It’s the question that no one asked, but it’s the one that gets answered with Trials HD.
For this game, you go through a series of time trials on different motorbikes, transversing across a 2D course while avoiding face plants and skull crushes. Both while in midair and on the ground, you can adjust the “lean” of your biker using the left analog stick. You need to plant your landings without smushing your body across the industrial pavement.
The physics engine is fun and the courses can get quite challenging. Trials HD is one of the more original games that I have played in a while, but it lacks the thrills I normally associate with motorcycles (or two wheeled travel). Trials HD sells for 1200 MS Points.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: Learning Teamwork
Having played Street Fighter IV for several months, I was ready for my next fighting game challenge. This isn’t exactly a new game, since the original game hit arcades at the turn of the millennium, but many have said that Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is one of the best fighting games of all time.
Unlike the HD Remix that we got with Super Street Fighter II Turbo, MvC2 doesn’t get any of the HD treatment whatsoever. Instead, it’s almost a direct port of the version that sold on the Sega Dreamcast, if only stretched to fit 16:9 widescreen TVs. They’ve masked this stretch reasonably well, but you still get some strange effects like Jin’s super move depicted above.
It may have started with X-Men vs. Street Fighter, but MvC 2 is so much bigger with three-on-three combat, multiple assist types, and combined supers. If you’re in the mood for some ridiculously fast and furious fighting (with full support for online play), this is the game for you. And you get access to all 56 characters right from the get-go. It sells for 1200 MS Points.
Overall Rating: 8.0/10
Splosion Man: An Amusing Blast
While so many of the retail games that we see today bring us into the third dimension with their action, I am quite pleased to see that all of the games from the XBLA Summer of Arcade largely stick to the second-dimension for the controls. There’s just something to be said about the nostalgic value of this kind of configuration and it’s just perfect for a season of arcade games.
Splosion Man may take on the appearance of a rather standard 2D platformer, but it’s actually quite creative in its implementation. You don’t run out of lives and you don’t have to mess with complicated controls. There aren’t even separate buttons for jumping and attacking, since the only thing that Splosion Man can do is explode.
I guess he’s some kind of experiment gone horribly wrong and he’s trying to escape from these evil scientists and their evil laboratory. Instead of presenting a typical enemy-based challenge, Splosion Man is much more of a puzzle game than a traditional action game. You have to figure out how to use his ‘splosions to get to the end of the stage and he can only ‘splode up to three times in succession.
Splosion Man is far from being the deepest game in the bunch, but it boasts plenty of charm, a good deal of humor (think Earthworm Jim), and a surprisingly addictive yet simple gameplay mechanic. The multiplayer mode mixes it up for even more fun. It sells for 800 MS Points.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
Shadow Complex: Metal Gear Meets Metroid
The guys that developed Shadow Complex are the same guys that made Gears of War, so I had very high expectations for this game. As hard as it may be to believe, this game exceeded my high expectations. Yes, it really is that good.
Powered by the Unreal engine, Shadow Complex makes us of an incredibly innovative 2.5D style. Your character progresses through gorgeous stages in a 2D fashion, but the elements in the background exist in 3D space, including the guards who are shooting at you. Using the right analog stick, you can aim at these guys, just as you would in a 3D first- or third-person shooter.
The stage maps are very reminiscent of Metroid, going through a series of chambers in both horizontal and vertical space. The storytelling and voice acting are very well done, giving you a plot that is even deeper than full retail games. Shadow Complex really sets a new standard in what it means to be a XBLA title and future releases really have their work cut out for them.
Shadow Complex sells for 1200 MS Points and it is worth every penny. If the game was a little longer, it could have easily launched as a full retail release.
Overall Rating: 9.0/10
A Solid Summer of Arcade Hits
It’s easy to get excited about the full retail games sold through brick and mortar stores. It’s easy for me to get caught up in Guitar Hero 5 and Tekken 6, but the downloadable world of Xbox Live Arcade is definitely worth of your attention too. The same can be said about PSN (PS3) and the Wii Shop.
You can take the very casual route with avatar games, but this Summer of Arcade was much more enjoyable for me. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 brings back plenty of arcade fighting action and Splosion Man was worth the chuckle, but Shadow Complex really stole the show. If you pick up just one XBLA game, make it Shadow Complex. Seriously. Do it now.
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A Futurelooks Round Up of Summer 2009’s Hottest Xbox Live Arcade Titles – Photo Gallery
