Here is the second part of our look at some of the best Xbox Indie Games of 2010.
The great releases continue in our second part (first part here) of our look at some of the best Xbox indie games of 2010 covering May to August. Around this time the number of releases increased and they started to gain wider publicity with games such as Aphelion and Clover. We also saw the start of a great developer Radiangames, with the release of JoyJoy followed by Crossfire and more.
If you are in need of Microsoft Points to buy all these great games then please visit Game Points who sell cheaper Microsoft Points as well as Xbox Live Gold subscriptions and loads more.
May
Retrofit – Overload
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Retrofit – Overload is a Galaxians inspired arcade shooter that brings the genre up to date. You play the game in a series of waves where alien craft fly through in patterns of attack and you must destroy them in order to progress to the next wave. Bonus rounds appear after every few waves and you only have one flyby to shoot as many of these as possible. Upgrades can be collected including new weapons and shields. Graphics look the part and while there is no music, the arcade noises keep the game authentic. This is not something you can play for hours on end, but like an arcade game, it is a game for the occasional quick blast. Retrofit – Overload costs 80 :MSPoints: and you can find more information here and our full review here.
radiangames JoyJoy
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radiangames JoyJoy is the game that kick started radiangames series of great quality arcade games and this wont be the last time you see their games in these articles! JoyJoy is a twin stick shooter, the graphics look great with bright colourful and at times very artistic if you take a look at the screenshots. A wonderful game to play and an easy recommendation to purchase as it only costs 80 :MSPoints:. You can find more information here.
Other titles you should check out are Nomis: Legacy Islands (Review), Gerbil Physics 2 (Review), Flotilla and Scribble Defense (Review).
By Walter Desmond – Flotilla was my Game Of The Year upon release, and my opinion hasn’t wavered for a second all year. The gameplay is unique and has a great level of depth to it, while the visuals are impressive and the humour refreshing, albeit in a Douglas Adams-esque-level-of-surreal sort of way.
Flotilla is the only game in the world that makes you feel like you’re the most bad@$$ space Admiral in the universe. I got a review copy for XBLIG, but bought an additional Steam copy just because I felt the need to support BlendoGame’s most amazing contribution to indie gaming ever.
June
Old School Racer
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Old School Racer is a motorbike racing game where the aim is to finish the course in the fastest time possible, there are even global leaderboards to compete on. Old School Racer uses gravity physics with plenty of ramps and obstacles to overcome and you have thirteen differing motorbikes to choose from. There are over 20 courses to race on and at only 80 :MSPoints: this one is an almost no-brainer to purchase. Why almost? The sequel OSR Unhinged was released in December so you may want to check that out instead. You can find more information here and our full review here.
Urban Space Squirrels
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Urban Space Squirrels is a platform game in which you play as a Squirrel escaping from confinement. Your journey takes you across twenty levels spread over four themed areas which are very well designed. Along the way, the squirrel gains new powers which include allowing him to place bombs to activate switches and climb walls. This is a great looking challenging platform game which has some well thought out puzzles such as placing bombs near switches which must be exploded in sequence to open doors. Urban Space Squirrels costs 80 :MSPoints: and you can find more information here and our full review here.
Other titles you should check out are Apple Jack (Review), Bumblicity (Review) and Kong360: Gorilla Warfare (Review).
July
Aphelion
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Aphelion is a sci-fi turn based RPG. The graphics are good quality and although there are a few hiccups with the sound you soon forget about them. The story is very well written and enjoyable to follow. The game features a skill points system, similar to Mass Effect, which allows you to customise your characters abilities. There is a lot to this game and it will keep you busy finding all the hidden bosses, creating items, levelling up and plenty more. There are some minor setbacks but overall it is a great RPG to play. Aphelion costs 240 :MSPoints:, you can find more information here and our full review here.
radiangames Crossfire
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radiangames Crossfire is an arcade shooter with a twist. Instead of moving your space ship along the bottom of the screen from side to side as in traditional shooters you can cross over to the top of the screen. This simple idea brings on a whole new aspect to the shooter and it works great! The graphics and sound are done very well as you would expect from radiangames and is only bettered by Crossfire 2 which came out in December 2010. radiangames Crossfire costs 80 :MSPoints:, though you may want to consider purchasing the sequel as it has more in the game. You can find more information here.
Other titles you should check out are Ophidian Wars: Opac’s Journey and PLATFORMANCE : Castle Pain,
August
Breeze
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Breeze was something different to the usual shooters being released around this time and many people may have missed out on this gem of a game. You must guide a flower using the very simple control system through the maze like levels by blowing it in the direction you want it to float. Touching the ground or scenery will destroy your flower! Decent graphics and a great sound track add a lot of polish to the game. The game increases in difficulty as you progress and with 60 levels there is plenty to keep you occupied in this lovely pick up and play game. Breeze costs 240 :MSPoints:, you can find more information here and our full review here.
Clover: A Curious Tale
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Clover: A Curious Tale is a adventure/platform/puzzle game in a similar vein to the classic Dizzy games. You play as Sam who must solve a series of puzzles and complete tasks following the murder of his mother, for example find and bring an item to a certain place.The game features some nice hand drawn style graphics with decent music and sounds. Clover: A Curious Tale does cost 400 :MSPoints: but it is well worth the asking price. You can find more information here.
Other titles you should check out are SolarStruggle and Jump’n Bounce.
That is all for the second part of our look at some of the best XBLIG of 2010. Part three covering September through to December can be found here. If you agree or disagree with any of our choices above please let us know in the comments.
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