Poopocalypse (XBLIG): "Peeved Pigeon Takes A Poop"

Poopocalypse was featured as one of my earlier reviews, but I wanted to go back and do a proper review of it. My initial review just didn't suit my current writing style. I'm sure most of you have either heard of, or played this wacky pigeon pooping game but if you haven't you then you definitely should. Wolpertinger is the developer of this rather unique game that features a peeved pigeon who takes revenge on the world, because there was a 'no feeding the pigeons' posted in his park. If you have seen the intro to the game then you know that this is one hefty pigeon, so you could probably understand his issue with the no feeding policy. Our feathered friend decides to exact his revenge by taking a dump on everyone, and everything. What ensues is a hilarious dual thumbstick shooter where the goal is to coat the world in crap.

Gameplay in 'Poopocalypse' is fairly straightforward. You control this oversized pigeon as you earn points by dropping poo upon the unlucky people, and landmarks that populate his world. Along the way you'll get to drop a dump on cops, land marks like the Big Ben, and even UFOs in area 51. How far you are able to make it without crashing, or getting shot down will determine your standing on the games leaderboard. I found that the features (buildings, people, monuments) in the game are actually randomly generated, so you never play through the exact same level twice. The game features a black, and red color scheme that mirrors the pigeon protaginist's anger. The white poo definitely shows up in this game due to the background colors, which is quite understandable seeing that this game is all about the poop. If you are seeking to get a high score in this game the trick is to get multipliers by increasing your speed (Right Trigger). You'll know you've got a good multiplier going when you hear an ominous voice speak in the background. Learning to control the pigeon's flight is also very necessary.

Controls in 'Poopocalypse' are fairly simple. For movement you use the (Left Thumbstick), and for pooping you use the (Right Thumbstick). You can accelerate your speed by pressing the (Right Trigger). I found that the best way to keep your pigeon in balanced flight is to keep tapping up on the (Right Thumbstick) frequently otherwise you'll end up crashing a lot. Aiming your poop is also an important part. I found that aiming the poop (Right Thumbstick) at a downwards, and backwards angle works best. The pigeon flies pretty fast so aiming the poop in this direction usually catches your targets better. The key to survivng for long distances mainly relies heavily on your ability to keep your pigeon from spiraling out of control.

I'm probaly one of the only gamers who found this game to be extremely fun to play. I have revisited it many times trying to top my distance, and score. I even had to regain my top place on the leaderboard after another player tried to beat my high rank. There's nothing that I don't like about this game. It's fun all the way through, and I never really understood the complaints that other reviewers had about it (color of poop, controls ...)? It's truly a solid game with superb replay value. For 80 msp ($1) it's a heck of a deal.