All releases are played for the eight minutes allowed in trials and impressions are made from that. If any developers would like for us to review your game in full, post an update on the progress of your game etc. please get in contact.
[nggtags gallery=update-4-12-09a]
Boom Chick Chick is an arena battle game where you must defend a Orb from the waves of enemies. Unlike most arena battle games where twin stick shooting is used, this game uses an auto aim and fire method which has mixed results. I found all but one of the weapons a little boring, the chainsaw was the most useful and I used it all the time. The game is not too bad but I was getting bored by the end of the trial. Boom Chick Chick costs 80 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here, a trailer can be found below.
Christmas Tree is an application you can use to design a Christmas tree. There is a good variety of decorations to choose from and is easy to use. This is probably aimed more towards young children and it might keep them occupied for a while over the festive period. Christmas Tree costs 80 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here.
Globe Clicker is an educational game where you must find locations such as Capital Cities around the globe. The faster and more accurate you are the more score you gain. I found this to be quite a fun game and did not know some of the more obscure locations around the world which added to the challenge and taught me something knew. It is only single player so I am not sure how long the fun will last, a multiplayer mode would have been great. We will be reviewing the full game so keep an eye out for it soon. Globe Clicker costs 240 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here, a trailer can be found below.
[nggtags gallery=update-4-12-09b]
Holiday Trivia is a multiple choice quiz game for up to four players. The trial is limited to five questions which were mainly USA centric so it was a little tricky for a Brit to immediately know the answers. It might be fun with three other players and you live in USA otherwise you take your chances. Holiday Trivia costs 80 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here.
Rebound is a game where you must rebound balls to avoid them falling out of the screen. The graphics are quite basic and you will likely get bored after a few minutes. One to avoid as it costs 240 :MSPoints:, more information can be found here.
Snake Maze is a game where you play the part of a mouse who must find their way out of a maze while collecting cheese. You are up against snakes and rats who if made contact with will reduce your score, if the snake makes it to the exit first you also fail. The mazes are randomly generated which can lead to fairly easy designs to escape from, also sometimes you simply cannot avoid the snake or rat and lose points for no fault of your own. The game did not grab me unfortunately. Snake Maze costs 80 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here.
[nggtags gallery=update-4-12-09c]
Spooky is an puzzle style game where you must get the evil spirits into the correct traps before the time runs out. You can do this by ‘sheep herding’ certain spirits or even making them follow you. Graphics are OK and the game is fairly fun, if a little annoying at times when you try to get certain spirits into the trap. It is worth checking out at least. Spooky costs 80 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here.
Sqong Christmas is a Christmas themed version of Sqong which is a kind of Breakout style game in which you must hit the blocks (in this case Christmas presents) and collect them for larger score. I did not play the original but this is not a bad game, I did find the ball movement a little weird though, sometimes speeding up or slowing down for no reason. This version has two new game modes and is worth taking a look at. Sqong Christmas costs 80 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here, a trailer can be found below.
Squirm is a Tron style game where you must leave a trail and avoid contact with the wall and opponents trails. It is a classic game genre and is still quite fun to play. Squirm comes fairly feature packed with a few game modes to choose from and a variety of maps to play on. Up to four players either CPU or human can play and while I did not try multiplayer I imagine it would be quite fun, worth checking out. Squirm costs 80 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here, a trailer can be found below.
Avatar Avenue is a last second addition to this round up as it was released while I was writing the article. Avatar Avenue is set at a street crossing and you basically watch random avatars walk around the street and interact with each other. You can stop traffic and honk the horn and that is basically it. It is fun for a few minutes but otherwise a waste of 80 :MSPoints:, more information can be found here.
Titles that have received a software update or price change are Sudoku X, XCross, Beat Hazard, Minigolf Mania, BIOLOGY BATTLE, BitStream, Wool, A Perfect Massage, Fireplace and Jumper Robot.
Trailers for the new releases can be found below:
Boom Chick Chick
Globe Clicker
Sqong Christmas
