BlackLight: Tango Down is a bit of a tricky little bugger. At first glance, it’s a great-looking multiplayer shooter that is, admittedly, something of a rarity on the Xbox 360’s XBLA service. Powered by Unreal Engine 3 technology, it’s a simple shooter akin to Call of Duty, Bad Company, or just about any other “modern” warfare contender out there, and it seems, at least, that it could stand on its own beside full retail releases. However, scratch the surface and you’ll soon discover that just beneath it’s deceptively shiny surface is a bullet hole-ridden experience that lacks polish where it counts and brimming with generic and lifeless gameplay throughout. Chances are you’ve already played what this game has to offer elsewhere, and probably – despite its budget-conscious nature – for less money.
All posts in Xbox Live Arcade
Impressions: Blacklight: Tango Down
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Review: Earthworm Jim HD
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An earthworm donning a white and powder-blue spacesuit always did garner attention. Upon Earthworm’s Jim initial release, I was but a wee lass who shied away at any mention of insects, arachnids, or creatures of the creepy-crawly variety. However, I made an exception for this vintage Genesis platformer. This worm spoke. I could dig it. And from the very first level where I launched a cow into the air after taking aim to a refrigerator, I knew this was something I’d come back to again and again. Luckily for me, the title has seen its share of incarnations of the years, even spawning a sequel that continued the run-and-gun legacy. Shiny Entertainment had a hit on its hands, if you don’t count the terrible excuses for games created without their involvement. Now, in an age that heralds the rebirth of classics we knew and loved in our youth, the original Earthworm Jim returns to consoles via the good graces of Gameloft in Earthworm Jim HD.
Review: Snoopy Flying Ace
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When you think of the Peanuts gang and that lovable beagle Snoopy, it’s likely you don’t immediately recall Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge. It just doesn’t seem too likely of a union, now does it? But wait. Toss Snoopy’s vicious nemesis into the mix, the Red Baron, and his penchant for World War II-era dogfights with the venerable fighter pilot. Starting to make more sense now? It should. In Smart Bomb Interactive’s highly enjoyable yet sufficiently challenging downloadable title, Snoopy Flying Ace, the meshing of Crimson Skies and the cast of Peanuts seems like a match made in heaven. Even more of a definitively arcade-type experience than Smart Bomb’s previous outing, Snoopy vs. The Red Baron, this adventure borrows more than a few pages from the cult Xbox hit and writes a fantastic story all its own.
Review: Rocket Knight
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Back in the ’90s, spunky mascots were a dime a dozen. These loveable yet snarky critters ruled the roost. Luckily, this trend did tend to die out over the following years, but the enduring classics live on; particularly, an endearing and memorable title known as Rocket Knight Adventures. An impossibly adorable yet suave marsupial armed with a jet pack and the attitude of heroes three times his size captured the hearts of lucky Genesis owners time and time again. The awesome opossum known only as Sparkster makes his triumphant return in Rocket Knight, an Xbox Live Arcade revival that jams a lot of style and gloss into an exciting little downloadable packet.
Hands-On Preview: Shank (PAX East)
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If there’s anything I love to see combined, it’s flashy animation and gratuitous violence. Happy Tree Friends makes me giggle like a schoolgirl. There’s nothing quite like the juxtaposition of kid-friendly caricatures rife with color and oozing style, wacky personalities, and copious amounts of blood. Entrails do an animated character good. The upcoming 2D side-scrolling Xbox Live Arcade/PSN/PC title Shank, brought to us by the good fellows at Klei Entertainment, delivers all of this and more in full force. If Quentin Tarantino, Penny Arcade, and slasher film junkies had a meeting of the minds, they’d likely submit this game for our gaming pleasure. Forget the delicate worlds of Braid or P.B. Winterbottom. Shank is hardcore. And if you don’t believe it, he’s got a Head-On chainsaw — to be applied directly to your forehead.
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