Bionic Commando, undisputed classic of the NES era, was rebooted a couple of years ago in a not-so-enjoyable manner. Its first real next-gen imagining left a lot to be desired, though its companion release, a polygonal remake for XBLA/PSN re-titled Bionic Commando Rearmed, happened to be a sight more entertaining than the higher budget full-fledged release. It wasn’t as ambitious as the hokey hotdog-haired endeavor, but it was a sufficient remake that worked quite well. It’s now gotten a sequel, Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, an adventure that follows Nathan “Rad” Spencer after the events of BC:R. It doesn’t hit all the high notes that its predecessor did, but is still a decent adventure that’s worth taking if you can stomach its premium price tag.
All posts in Xbox Live Arcade
Impressions: Bionic Commando Rearmed 2
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Impressions: X-Men Arcade
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It often baffles me, the games chosen for revival through services such as the Xbox Live Arcade or PlayStation Network. Konami’s X-Men Arcade is one of the latest additions, but for the life of me I’m not exactly sure why it was ever a delight to play through, even during my youth, the supposed heyday of 2-D brawlers. By today’s standards and pricing, it’s a bona fide relic of a particular time and place that even many of today’s most hardcore gamers might not be familiar with, let alone want to revisit digitally. It might be a quick decadent nostalgia trip for those who may have fond memories of standing in front of the original arcade cabinent, but your money, in terms of value and enjoyment, is likely better spent elsewhere.
Impressions: Alien Breed 3: Descent
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Alien Breed may seem like a newer franchise to the uninitiated, but it actually began back in the early nineties via Team17 (the same team behind the infamous Worms games). Fast-forward to today and it’s been given a new lease on life, thanks to the current trend of rehashing old franchises to “modernize” and “improve” them. This process began with Alien Breed: Evolution, continued with Alien Breed 2: Assault, and has most recently come around to Alien Breed 3: Descent, which is just as lackluster as the rest of the episodic installments, though has its moments. Despite its mediocrity, this type of game certainly could have worked as a replacement of sorts for a game such as Dead Space’s venture into the world of Xbox Live Arcade or PlayStation Network, rather than the atrocious cash-in Dead Space Ignition. Unfortunately, Team17 didn’t quite let this ambitious episodic series live up to the full potential it showed in the beginning.
Review: Comic Jumper
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When I first caught wind of Twisted Pixel’s latest project Comic Jumper, I was mildly excited. It seemed new and interesting enough. The Maw was appropriately adorable and ‘Splosion Man had a good vibe to it, but ultimately was not for me. But because I thought the Twisted Pixel crew had a decent booth set up at PAX East earlier this year, I thought I’d see what all the fuss was about.
Review: Hydrophobia
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Hydrophobia seemed as though it would be something new and refreshing for the Xbox Live Arcade selection that has seemed to stagnate over the past few months. Even the game’s title, referring to the irrational fear of water, was puzzling to me. Elements of psychological and survival horror called out to me and sang a chilling tune as I made my way deeper into its world. And as I attempted to infiltrate the massive Queen of the World ship in order to get to the bottom of a bizarre terrorist attack, I slowly began to realize that the combination of mediocre voice acting, iffy controls, and frustrating mechanics were hampering the experience too much to keep it fresh. With a heavy heart, I sat down to pen this review, lamenting the wasted potential of what could have been a much more engaging adventure.