Weekly XBLIG Picks - 1/31-2/6

In this week's installment of Weekly XBLIG Picks (just imagine I stretched that out and used a deep, booming voice), there really weren't too many games that evoked the jump up and scream response. Well, some did, but not in the way that will make you rush to enter your 16 digits and buy more Microsoft points. When the week ended, I really only found three games that I felt comfortable recommending. And here they are, in no particular order:

Random - Indie Board Games

A quick note before I go to bed. If I could turn everything into some sort of card-based game, I would. Fighters, RPGs, street racing, heck I almost joined Weight Watchers because of that awesome card system they had for keeping track of your points (I'm 5'8" and weigh 130, so this would probably kill me). Needless to say, few things capture my attention like shuffling and drawing. Earlier tonight, as my girlfriend and a good friend of mine were playing a three-player game of Innovation, I was reminded of my love for all games indie and how that spills over to my hobbies that don't involve electricity.

So, would you believe there's the board game equivalent of XBLIG?

Thoughts - Why XBLIG's Online Requirement Kills Certain Genres

There's a requirement for certain Ubisoft games that you MUST be online while playing said game. The punishment for trying to play offline is the obvious: you don't get to play. If you're a gamer, there's a pretty good chance you already knew about this and have made your long, angry, anti-Ubisoft blog or forum entry. But Ubisoft is a giant Splinter Cell-cranking corporation. Surely it's an isolated incident that wouldn't reach the world of indie gaming, right? As unfair as it is to word it like that, we all know it's been like that for XBLIG since the beginning.

And until this changes, competitive gaming will never be seen on XBLIG.

Weekly XBLIG Picks - 1/24-1/30

Every week, I'll slave over a hot 360 to bring you a list of what I consider worthwhile downloads, picked from the deluge of games that hit the XBLIG Marketplace during the previous seven days. On this first edition, we've got a platformer, a brawler, a physics puzzler, an RPG, and a twin-stick shooter; a decent variety and all worth at least a demo.

Late New Year's Resolution

Looking back at last year, I realized that even though the vast majority of the games I reviewed were bought and paid for out of my own pocket, I probably still spent less on video gaming than any other year in the last decade. How much is uncertain, and I don't feel like going back and doing some seriously unnecessary guessing, but with only four or even fewer games bought on disc and a handful of XBLA/WiiWare titles I doubt it was over $300. That seems like a large number when you just throw it out there, but considering that counts GameFly for the first few months of the year as well as the fact that many gamers can spend that much in two trips to GameStop it starts to look like a pretty small number for someone who lists video gaming as his main hobby.

And I think I can cut that number down even further. Would you believe...in half?

So here's my late resolution: by year's end, I'll only spend $150 on video games. And each Saturday I'll document every last cent I threw into gaming. That's $12.50 a month on gaming And consider that snagging a new game at retail kills 40% of my budget for a year.

Think I can do it? I'm willing to wager that, for every dollar I go over, I'll put that much into a charity of someone's choice (dunno who yet, I'll decide on that part later). If I don't, I'll still put the remainder into that charity with a minimum of $25. The only allowance I have is that I can use the remainder of my MS Points (roughly 950 MSP or $12) without it counting, since they were part of a Christmas gift. After that, $150 for the rest of the year.

And yes, I think I can do it.

Four Quarter Friday - Vorpal

At about 2 in the morning on New Year's Day, after a buddy of mine and I spent eight hours with Raskulls, Hydro Thunder Hurricane, and BBC's Top Gear, I decided to hop on over to the Indie Games Marketplace to see if anything from the Indie Games Winter Uprising had hit XBox Live. There wasn't, but I was greeted with a box art that reminded me of the simple Japanese Final Fantasy boxes. White background, one-color title, and a drawing using nothing but black ink yet being detailed enough to catch my eye. I didn't find a 16-bit RPG underneath the classy digital case, but after an hour or two with Vorpal I'm pretty glad I didn't.

Blog Resurrection - Return of Gano--er, Hogosha.

Over the last few months, I've struggled with my writing. And I mean that in the most all inclusive way I can outside of literally printing my blog entries and having no holds barred cage matches with them. Everything from subject matter to sentence structure to just the overall flow of how I write has become more than a little elusive. Even these few simple paragraphs letting you know that I'm not only alive but also ready to come back and write the good write don't produce themselves as naturally as they did last year.

So let's do something about that.

Starting tomorrow with the return of Four Quarter Friday, I'm writing something every day about either the world of XBox Live Indie Games or, at the very least, gaming in general. It could be a review, a summary of all the games out over the last week, an opinion on a certain genre and how it's being handled in this age of gaming, how awesome a soundtrack is, or just a general rant about how much I hate nearly every game with the word "Avatar" in it. And if it isn't one of these things, it'll be a link to anything I've jotted down on other sites like indienerds.com or xblaratings.com.

And if I don't do this, I demand that someone kick me in the bum.

So there. My butt is on the line. Either I get it in gear and start writing or I get it beaten.

See you folks tomorrow evening with a review of either XBLIG bullet-hell shmup Vorpal or radiangames' final monthly title, twin-stick shooter Ballistic.

XBLIG Review - Vexis

It's been at least a couple months since I've reviewed something that doesn't require a large amount of manual dexterity. It's true, I do like a lot of my games to have that quarter-stealing hitbox-avoiding arcade feel, but I also enjoy the softer and more intellectual side of gaming. The type of game to require more brain activity than reflexes and button mashing. This one from Buckshot Games, Vexis, required so much of that squishy stuff inside my head that I ended up staring at the last puzzle for at least an hour without doing much of anything. And it was totally worth it.

Four Quarter Friday - Hypership Out Of Control

Before we dive feet-first into this, I'd like to direct your attention to Hypership's description on the XBox Live Marketplace.


That last line is undeniable proof that Kris Steele of Fun Infused Games is a dirty, filthy liar. I had fun with your game, Kris, and just to spite you I'm going to tell EVERYONE ON THE INTERNET just HOW much fun I had. SO THERE.

Thoughts - A More Specific Focus

As much as I've enjoyed talking about the most random of random things on here - from my retro gaming favorites to how awesome Iron Maiden is - I think the scope of my blog posts and my reviews are a bit too wide. So, unless I start to see that it's a bad idea, this blog is going to focus only on XBox Live Indie titles and news. And, since I feel the need to justify everything I do, here's a list of reasons why (we all like lists, don't deny it).

Four Quarter Friday - radiangames Inferno

Indie developer radiangames, though a very recent addition to the XBLIG scene, has become known for producing top notch games for the Indie Game Marketplace. So top notch, in fact, that each of the three games from radiangames (JoyJoy, Crossfire, and the new Inferno) is on the Indie Games Top 20 Rated list on XBox Live; a feat that, to my knowledge, has only been accomplished with the Arkedo Series of Jump, Swap, and Pixel. So we know the latest in the series, Inferno, is both loved and awesome. But what's it like?

Retro Monday-ish - Bad Dudes vs DragonNinja

Because of the two great beat-'em-ups hitting XBLA this week, Shank and Scott Pilgrim, I decided that if I do any posts this week they'll be themed around punching and kicking hordes of bad guys. This week's retro game, though decent, is one of the most memorable 80's arcade games for one reason and one reason only: "I'M BAD!" Yes, Bad Dudes vs DragonNinja, the game where you have to be a bad enough dude to save the president.

Four Quarter (Late) Friday - Platformance: Castle Pain

Ever look at a game's instruction manual and think to yourself, "THERE'S TOO MUCH HERE!" Ever long for the days of left, right, and jump while still having a game that remains fun? Well, as long as you're alright with a short game that makes you cuss like a sailor, XBLIG Platformance: Castle Pain from Magiko Gaming just might be the profanity-inducing game for your simple needs.

Thursday Thoughts - Game Length

Wednesday I had the pleasure of reading through opinions from indie developers about why how long a game is really shouldn't matter when making a decision on whether or not you should purchase a game. Today I tell you that the reviewers and customers not only have a point but also should be listened to.

Webnesday - Kung Fu 2

So this week I went ahead and tried a few games out to see if anything would catch my attention enough to write about it. Sure enough, someone out there knew that the fastest way to my heart is with old-school punches and kicks. Oh, and Mr. X, of course.

Recent Developments - Zeboyd Games

This week's Recent Developments gets devoted to a developer responsible for a game that not only knocked G4ME W1TH Z0MBI35 IN1T off the number one spot for a short amount of time but also solidified itself as my favorite RPG on the 360. And it was a dollar. On the XBLIG Marketplace. I'm talking about none other than Zeboyd Games, creator of Breath of Death VII: The Beginning and the upcoming Cthulhu Saves The World.

Retro Monday - Robotrek

I played a lot of 16-bit RPGs back in the mid-90's. Of course this meant a lot of Final Fantasy IV and VI, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, and every other Square title that came out during the time period, but it also meant games like Lufia, Illusion of Gaia, Lunar, Phantasy Star, Vay, and a few others. Of course, these are also well known titles that most anyone who enjoyed RPGs either knew about or played the heck out of back then. One title, Enix's Robotrek, flew under the radar amid the release of Illusion of Gaia and Final Fantasy VI but ended up being one of my favorite RPGs on the SNES and a game I not only fondly remember but also one of the few I'm willing to fire up these days. And considering most RPGs put me to sleep anymore, that's saying something.

Do It Yourself - Chapter 1: Planning

So HERE'S something of a departure from what I normally do. "Do It Yourself" is going to be a weekly blog entry detailing my attempt at making a game for the XBLIG Marketplace. Will I complete this? Will I give up halfway through? Will I even put the thing on the Marketplace once I'm done or will I die of shame? We'll find out eventually, but first let's start our tale with Do It Yourself, Chapter 1: Planning.

Webnesday - Canabalt

In my usual "last one to the party" fashion, I decided to take on a game I hadn't played before but is so well-known that it's what the genre is usually named after. In this case, it's a game simple enough that one button is all you need but difficult enough that you'll be trying and cussing over and over again until you're no longer invited to the neighbor's place for dinner. That game is Canabalt from Semi Secret Software.

Recent Developments - Fun Infused Games

Since I'm no longer writing anywhere else right now, I've been fumbling a few ideas around for a Tuesday column. This such idea, Recent Developments, is merely me talking about what a developer is up to. Are they working on a specific game? Polishing and patching what's been released? Or maybe they decided to shoot the breeze with me and answer some of my nagging questions, like what they've been playing, how the newest game is coming along, and why Iron Maiden is arguably the greatest band ever. Time will tell. For this installment of (a possibly ill-fated) Recent Developments, I decided to go check out what Fun Infused Games is up to.