All releases are played for the eight minutes allowed in trials and impressions are made from that. Note to developers: we have a backlog of several games to review so there will be a delay for any new reviews until after the New Year. If you still want your new game reviewed we are happy to do so but please expect a delay until we catch up.
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Avatar Match is a tile matching game for up to 16 players either Human or CPU. The grid goes up to a decent size so there is a bit of a challenge but the presentation and graphics are quite basic which lets the game down. It is worth a try if you have a few friends to play with but otherwise the trial will be enough. Avatar Match costs 80 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here.
Avatar Wave: Snowball Fight is an arcade game where you must throw snowballs at your opponents to reduce their health and eventually win. The presentation and graphics look good and the game is quite fun to play, who doesn’t like a good snowball fight? π There are a few modes to choose from, support for up to 4 players local and online and power ups to collect, I liked the game and it is worth checking out. Avatar Wave: Snowball Fight costs 240 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here, a trailer can be found below.
Colaris is a game where you must press the matching button on your controller to the colour on the screen. That is all the game does and therefore one to avoid! Colaris costs 80 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here.
Cut and Run is a sports game which features running and hurdles. The game looks great but it gets boring after a while as it is basically a button mashing game. It supports four players locally so might be worth checking out with some friends but otherwise I think you will be bored by the end of the trial. Cut and Run costs 80 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here.
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Game Created by a 5th Grader is a shooter that gets progressively more challenging. It has been created by a 5th Grader (10 years old?) with some help from his dad so it is good to see some young coders getting involved in Indie Games. Although the game is a bit basic, it is fairly fun to play and it does get fairly challenging after a few levels. Give it a try and give some feedback via the xbox forums for the game. Game Created by a 5th Grader costs 80 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here.
Goblyn Stomp is an arcade game where you must stomp the ever oncoming waves of Goblyn. The game is presented in a silent movie era sepia style and it all works well. As you progress through the game you learn new skills which are quite fun. This is more of a five minute blast than something to sit down to but it is worth checking out. I will be reviewing this in the New Year. Goblyn Stomp costs 80 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here, a trailer can be found below.
Home Run Challenge is a baseball game which reminds me of the Wii sports game. You hit the ball and try to score a home run or hit the targets. The game looks great but like the Wii sports game I was getting a little bored after several minutes. It is worth checking out though, for 80 :MSPoints: it is cheaper than a Wii π More information can be found here.
Magnetic Defender is a top down shooter where you must defend four missiles from enemy bullets by using a magnet to deflect them. The graphics are not too bad but I found it a little tricky to keep track of the enemies and deflect the bullets. The game seems OK and should improve with more play time. Magnetic Defender does cost 240 :MSPoints: so not too sure if it is worth the points but do check it out. More information can be found here, a trailer can be found below.
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Painting Party is a paint program for your 360. You have a few brushes and fills with plenty of colours to choose from. This is one for the kids so I will reserve judgement on it but it seems enough to keep them quiet for a bit π Painting Party costs 80 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here.
Partyboat is a sim style game that I did not get to fully play in the eight minutes as it seems to be a very large game. You start off by buying and equipping a ship and take it on cruises to entertain your guests to earn more money to improve your ship. The presentation and graphics are done very well, the intro music is classic! This looks to be a great game with plenty of humour and loads to do, so it is worth further investigation, definitely give the trial a go! Partyboat costs 400 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here, a trailer can be found below.
Pilot Test is a short minigame where you take part in a secret military pilot test which involves controlling a red square that must avoid the bouncing green squares. This is a really simple yet fairly addictive game in short bursts as you try to dodge the bouncing squares for as long as possible. It is good fun and at only 80 :MSPoints: is worth checking out, more information can be found here and a trailer can be viewed below.
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Sidehill Gouger is a puzzle game where you must hunt down the Gouger and kill him with your slingshot. You move your character square by square and must use deduction to find where the Gouger is waiting and then fire a slingshot at that square. The presentation and graphics are done well and the game seems to be fun to play. At 80 :MSPoints: this looks to be one well worth checking out. More information can be found here.
Snail Shot Torpedo is an underwater arcade game where you must defend yourself from the oncoming enemies by firing a slingshot containing a missile at them. The presentation and graphics are pretty good but after a few levels the game was feeling a little repetitive. The game costs 400 :MSPoints: which I think could be a little high, we are reviewing the game in the New Year so you may want to wait until then or give the trial a go. More information can be found here and a trailer can be viewed below.
Square Off is an arcade shooter game which you must save humanity by defeating the waves of aliens. The game is a lot of fun to play with some decent power ups and loads of aliens including bosses to destroy. The game supports up to four players co-op either locally or online and this is definitely one to check out! Square Off costs 240 :MSPoints: and more information can be found here and a trailer can be viewed below.
Titles that have received a software update or price change are Shield Defense, Catch22, Little Racers, What The?!, SFG Soccer, Nuke Your Neighbor, myChristmas and Words In A Word.
Trailers for new releases are below:
Avatar Wave: Snowball Fight
Goblyn Stomp
Magnetic Defender
Partyboat
Pilot Test
Snail Shot Torpedo
Square Off