We get quite a few games to review which are perfectly fine, but would be better suited as a short review rather than a full length review. Hot Dog eating, jumping turtles, football and creepy castles, its a usual weekend for us!
We are trying something new with a round up of some games that are perfect for when you have friends over or you want a quick blast on something while waiting for the other half to get ready to go out 😉 As mentioned not all games work well with a full length review format, so this is not a reflection on the quality of the game just because we are doing them in a round-up format. Please let us know what you think of the new article, if it is popular we hope to do more in the future.
We are also holding a competition to win one of two codes for Strategy Soccer which we reviewed below. You can find more details after the reviews.
The American Hot Dog Race
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The American Hot Dog Race is a party game for one to four players based on the July 4th American tradition of scoffing down hot dogs as fast as possible. In the single player mode you go against an opponent in a round based game and must eat more hot dogs than your opponent who eat faster as you progress through the rounds. The multiplayer mode allows up to four players to battle it out. You can choose between your own avatar or a randomly generated one if you are playing as a guest.
Eating the hot dogs is a traditional button mashing game, the button will appear from the pile of hot dogs and you must repeatedly tap the appropriate button to consume it. Midway through the level is a thirst quenching game where you must tap the left or right triggers to move a jug of water towards your player.
Presentation is done fairly well with bright and easy to navigate menus. Graphics are fairly good, I would have liked to have seen a some variety in the level designs to keep it feeling fresh. A rock themed music track plays during the game and a brass band plays when you win. Sound effects are minimal and are slightly lost against the music.
The American Hot Dog Race costs 80 :MSPoints: and as a single player game you will get some short lived enjoyment out of the game. With a few friends the game improves and becomes much more fun. Worth checking out if you have a few friends over and want something everyone can join in on. You can download the trial or purchase the full version on the Marketplace.
Hurdle Turtle
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Hurdle Turtle is the second game in the ‘8-bit series’ from Holmade Games. This is a game for people of all ages to play and sees you controlling a turtle who runs along a track and must jump or avoid obstacles which get progressively harder and faster the further you travel. The aim of the game is to stay alive for as long as possible and beat the distance record.
Three tracks are available to play which vary in difficulty and looks. The beginner level places your turtle in a race track location jumping hurdles and avoiding walls while the hardest level is set in a Jurassic world with T-Rex trails to jump and Triceratops to avoid. Although the game essentially plays the same over the levels, jump and dodge, it is very fun to play and is a good fun challenge that keeps you coming back for more.
Presentation and graphics are done in a retro style which looks good and continues the 8-bit series very well. Music sounds great and there are a few tracks to listen to which all have a 8-bit style, a good choice and they go perfectly with the retro style of the game. You can play in a single player mode or a shared screen two player mode for much hilarity and competitiveness!
Hurdle Turtle costs 80 :MSPoints: and is perfect for quick blasts of play and due to the increasing difficulty of the game it should be ideal for younger players to play. It has that one more go factor and you will take full advantage of this as you try to beat the top distances. If you love retro themed games or want something all ages can play then look no further! You can download the trial or purchase the full version on the Marketplace, also check out the trailer here.
Strategy Soccer
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Strategy Soccer reminds me a little of Subbuteo. Instead of real time movement, the two teams take turns to control their players in a turn based fashion. Each player has Action Points which can be spent running, passing and shooting when attacking or running and tackling when defending. You have a limited amount of action points to spend so you must plan ahead to ensure your players will have enough to make the pass or reach opponent to defend against a pass or shot.
All the national football teams are available for selection, unfortunately there are is no single player support so you must either play against yourself or get a friend to join in. I am a little undecided on the game as it was a bit pointless playing against myself but I could see there being a fairly good game if you played against a friend, you could compare it to playing chess as the game is more strategic than a usual football game.
Presentation and graphics are quite minimal, the menus are very basic but they work well enough. Graphics do let the game down, with some more effort the visuals could have improved the game greatly. There are five music tracks played throughout the menus, and in-game there are crowd noises and chants which sound authentic and add some atmosphere to the game.
Strategy Soccer costs 240 :MSPoints: which I feel is a little expensive for the quality of the game. The lack of a single player mode detracts from the game, if you have a friend to play against you could find this to be a nice strategic game. It is worth giving the trial a go if you have someone to play against otherwise I would pass on it. You can download the trial or purchase the full version on the Marketplace.
Crazy Wizard in Creepy Castle
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Crazy Wizard in Creepy Castle is a platform game set in the land of Odorisa. The once peaceful land has been broken by a mysterious evil castle that suddenly appears. You play the character of a Crazy Wizard who comes out of retirement to get to the top of the castle, sort out the evil stuff and restore peace to the land.
This is a fairly basic platform game which sees your character navigate the levels by jumping platforms, avoiding fire, dodging spears and shooting the monsters that populate the level. The level designs are fairly basic with straightforward jump a few fires then dodge some spears style gameplay. Timing is occasionally an issue, for example reaching a platform that has a moving monster guarding it and a moving spear, they can be out of sequence and can require a leap of faith (and loss of health) or patience to wait for the right time.
Graphics are quite basic and nothing to write home about. The scrolling of the screen is a little jerky and can be off putting. Jumping in platform games is a vital component and I have to say that they do not work that great in this game. The jumping feels awkward and you will often find yourself missing a jump or landing in a pit of fire.
Crazy Wizard in Creepy Castle costs 80 :MSPoints: and to be honest it is a bit of a struggle to recommend. There are more negatives than positives to the game so unfortunately it is one to avoid. You can download the trial or purchase the full version on the Marketplace.
Competition
UPDATE: Competition is now over. Congratulations to DeeEmEcks and @ilRadd who both win a copy of the game.
We have two codes to give away for Strategy Soccer which we reviewed just above. You have two chances to win, one by the comments and one by Twitter.
Code 1: To enter we would like to know what you would call your Football/Soccer team. Leave your answer in the comments below and do not forget to fill out the email field so we can contact you if you win.
Code 2: This is a twitter based competition. Follow @Gamergeddon and retweet the following:
We’re on the ball, We’re on the ball. I want to win a code for Strategy Soccer from @Gamergeddon. Follow and RT to enter.
The deadline is 6PM UK time, two winners will be picked at random, not by Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda 😉
Rules and Information
– The deadline to submit your entry is Friday 2nd July at 8PM UK time. The two winners will be picked at random from all eligible entries and will be notified within 24 hours.
– Include your correct email address in the field if entering the comment giveaway as this will be used to contact you if you win, the email address is not shown to the public.
– Please only enter once. Multiple entries and using multiple accounts may be banned from this and future competitions.
– Anyone may enter but please remember that the token may not be redeemable if Indie Games are not available in your country. No alternatives will be offered, you can either give the code back to us and we will pick another winner or you can give it to someone else.
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