Go Gimbal Go (XBLIG): "A challenging 2D platformer fit for all ages"

When I first saw 'Go Gimbal Go' I didn't know what to expect. I passed up the opportunity to request it for review on many occasions simply, because I thought it was some childish game that wouldn't be fit for my audience of readers. I'm glad that the developer (Gimbal Lock Studios) decided to contact me though, because otherwise I would have missed out on this interesting title. In the email I received from the developer he told me what the game was all about, and from his descriptions I could tell a lot of thought went into the making of this game. While I did not see the game comparisons he saw (Super Mario Sunshine ...) I did notice some similarities to other classic video games. After spending significant time with the game I decided to post my review, and this here is that review.

A-Band (XBLIG): "An Artistic Jam Session With New Rock Bands"

Sometimes I get myself in some of the worst situations when it comes to reviews. Either I'm juggling a bunch of reviews on my two blogs at one time, or I'm doing reviews on games/dvds that I'm not really into. Sadly this is the case with the game I'm about to review here. Against my better judgement I promised the developer (Flammable Games) I'd do a review on their game knowing ahead of time that the game was better played with the drum peripheral/controller. It's the kind of circumstance that makes me want to beat my head against the wall. Regardless of my struggle I was able to play enough of the game to give you guys a decent review.

Pig & Bullet (XBLIG)

I was browsing the Xbox marketplace recently when I stumbled upon a very interesting XBLIG title. The title of course was none other than 'Pig & Bullet'. The cover art immediately caught my attention as well as the name of the game. It was enough to warrant some further investigation. I went to the description as I usually do when checking out a new game, and found something really interesting. The soundtrack to 'Pig & Bullet' was composed by Yasushi Kaminishi who formerly composed soundtracks for Capcom, and Takumi. After seeing that little bit of info I definitely had to get the game. I purchased 'Pig & Bullet' for a cheap 80 msp, and set out to see what it was all about.

Cherry Poke Prison (XBLIG): "Welcome To Skankatraz!!!"

There aren't many indie games that have made me laugh as much as the 'Trailer Park King' series has. While some gamers may be offended by the redneck humor I find it to be quite hilarious. I come from the south, and redneck jokes are commonplace in my area. When it comes to said humor 'Freelance Games' definitely knows how to dish out the dialogue. All of the characters in the 'Trailer Park Series' have been given a unique personality, and voice of their own making the humor even more laughable. A lot of the jokes are centered around porn references which I easily understand, because I actually review adult dvds. Some of the adult humor is over your head kind of stuff while other things are pretty much in your face. It's a good idea to keep this in mind if you ever want to check the series out.

After reviewing 'Trailer Park King' episode 2 I found that it finished with an open ending leading me to believe a sequel was in the makes. While browsing the Xbox marketplace one day recently I was surprised to find that there was indeed a sequel. At first I was seriously puzzled by the game's title, but when I read the description it all made sense. Freelance Games ended up giving me a code without me even asking. It was a truly pleasant surprise. I definitely wanted to see what was new in the world of the "King", and having the code in my possession I set out to do just that.

Shooting Chicken Brutal Suckers (XBLIG): "Kohei Gallery's Anime Hijinks Continue"

Out of all the Japanese based XBLIG developers 'Kohei Gallery' definitely outdoes the rest. During my time as an XBLIG reviewer I have covered two of their games on my blog. The first one I encountered was a racy anime puzzle game with "Moe" girls in it. While the images were a tad bit on the sexy side the puzzle mechanics of that game were very impressive. I had never played another game like it in my life. The second "Kohei Gallery" game I reviewed was "Houchi Play" which was a pervy sort of game where the goal was to inch the old guy ever closer down a bench to the cosplay ladies at the end without being noticed. Once again I found the game to have a unique design, and concept. As a result "Houchi Play" has become one of my all time favorite anime XBLIG titles. Not many games can make you laugh, and have fun like that game does.

After a short absence from the XBLIG marketplace "Kohei Gallery" has returned with a sequel to a game that was created two years ago. I had actually purchased the first game which was called "Shooting Chicken Revenge". The difficulty was honestly a little to serious for my tastes, but it seemed to be well designed. I had never seen a game like it though. The aim of the first game was to survive a never ending onslaught of what looked like stiff rubber chickens. It was a wacky concept, and something I would have enjoyed if it weren't for the extreme difficulty of the game. I have to say that I never thought "Kohei Gallery" would revisit the series, and make a sequel but I think it's a cool concept ... So, here we are about to dive into my review of "Shooting Chicken Brutal Suckers". You'll need to prepare yourself for some wacky word play cause I've got a lot to say about this odd indie game.

Heroes of Hat (XBLIG): "A University Project Well Done"

I have been extremely fortunate to have the support that I've gotten from my readers, and game developers. Like I mentioned in my "Special Thanks" section this blog would not be as successful as it is without the support I have received. Between being able to convince retail developers that I can post a proper review, and the several requests I've gotten from XBLIG developers about doing reviews things have really started to improve for "OtakuDante's Gaming Inferno". In all honesty I never dreamed my blog would take off so well. It makes me really happy to know that game developers such as "Utah Game Forge" are interested in what I have to say about their game. While I don't review every game that is requested of me though I do my best to pick ones that I think have something special about them. I try my best to stay away from the clones though, because I believe that even an indie game developer can create original games if they are serious about what they do. In this review I'll be covering my thoughts on "Utah Game Forge's" "Heroes of Hat". I tried my best to do a full playthrough of the game, but ultimately I fell short due to the game's co-op requirements. As the game suggests this is a (Up To) 4 player co-op game, and it is best suited for multiple players.

Bureau - Shattered Slipper (XBLIG): "Sequel to Twist-Ed Game's Sexy FBI Thriller"

Guy Galer of 'Twist-Ed Games' is one of the more unique indie game developers to grace the XBLIG marketplace. If memory serves me well he has created four beautifully rendered titles including 'Colonies: NeoCiv', and 'Bureau - Agent Kendall'. It was by mere chance that I happened upon a Youtube trailer of Guy's game 'Bureau - Agent Kendall' late last year. My initial thoughts were that the game look interesting, and that there was a sexy quality about it, specifically some semi-nude sequences. It sparked my interest enough to request the game for review. During my playthrough of 'Bureau - Agent Kendall' I found it to be a very involved game. It utilized realistic FBI tactics including suspect interrogations, relationship building with various persons involved in the given cases, and action packed interactive sequences where the Bureau agents involved had to fight for their very survival. The game ultimately ended with a cliffhanger that was reminiscent of the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". Months have passed since the first game was released, but finally the sequel is here. I was very anxious to see how/if Agent Kendall got out of her dire situation, and if the gameplay was similar to that of the previous title.

Compromised (XBLIG): "A Shmup That Could Easily Be A Retail Game ... Think Konami"

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if a company with an art style like Konami's decided to make shmups? Well in a roundabout way 'Super Soul (The Developer)' has answered that question. When I first laid eyes on the Youtube trailer for this game it reminded me greatly of games like "Castlevania", and "Contra". The only difference was that the game was a shmup with it's own unique story. I knew This would be the type of game a lot of shmup fans would enjoy, so I contacted the developer early on in hopes of securing a code. I'm definitely glad I got the opportunity to not only play the game, but to also share what I found as I did my playthrough of it. In the following paragraphs I'm going to try my best to relay necessary info on the game without making a mess of things. There's a lot to talk about concerning this title, and it'll be best done in an organized fashion.

Chompy Chomp Chomp (XBLIG): "Like Pac-Man Only With Little Devils"

I'm going to be straightforward with you guys & gals. Lately the XBLIG marketplace has been plagued by games that don't really deserve a mention, or review. Some of them are clones, and some of them look so visually uninteresting that they scare away any potential buyers. These are part of the reasons I haven't done any XBLIG reviews lately. Instead of Indie developers who actually strive to make a good product there are a lot that just seem to want to cash in on the opportunity. It's sad. Sometimes I wonder "Where has all the innovation, and creativity gone!?". Well, I'm glad to say that "Utopian House of Sandwiches", the developer behind "Chompy Chomp Chomp" has renewed my faith in the indie game genre. This game is top notch in design, and gameplay. Everything about it is absolutely beautiful, and fun. I don't want to get too far into my opinion though. Let's get into the meat of the game ...

Growing Pains (XBLIG): "A Groovy Platforming Challenge"

I absolutely believe in trying different things. It's a philosophy that I not only apply to gaming, but to life as well. Limiting one's self to particular things in life only keeps one from experiencing everything else that is available. If you don't try other things you could miss out on something great. With that being said I often times try things/games out that I'm not particularly fond of. It doesn't mean that the said things are bad, but simply that they're not to my liking. In the case of 'Growing Pains' I found myself rather frustrated by the difficulty that the game presented. It's what I like to call an "Impossible Game". If you don't know what I mean let me explain. There are is a sub-genre of platformers in the XBLIG library that exceed in the hardcore difficulty category. These games feature frustrating puzzles/requirements that will have you repeating levels/stages over, and over again. Most gamers end up ragequitting on such games, and in turn never finish them. I have been guilty of this in the past, and once again I find myself repeating that reaction. I will be able to give you the usual game description, and details, so you don't have to worry about that.

Septipus: Tentacle Apocalypse (XBLIG): "An Epic Game With An Unusually Sinister Villain & Equally Unusual Hero"

Very rarely have I had the chance to review an indie game, or video game that has such a great production value as 'Septipus: Tentacle Apocalypse' has. Everything about this game was delivered in an epic way. The developer, 'Soulfire Software' definitely put a lot of effort into their release of this game. Everything from the game design to the music involved shows that the developer really wanted to deliver a quality product. I actually played through the game early this morning, and enjoyed every single minute of it despite the sometimes gut wrenching difficulty that was presented. After doing my playthrough I actually rated 'Septipus: Tentacle Apocalypse' through the XBL dashboard giving it a full five stars. This alone lets you know what I think about the game. It's not often that I take the time to give a game any ratings let alone a five star rating. Before I ramble on too much I will proceed with my review.

Hop and Pop (XBLIG): "Classic Puzzle Gaming With a Twist"

I'm a gamer who enjoys all kinds of games. I definitely have my favorite genres, but I'm always open to new gaming experiences. This is what sets me apart from a lot of gamers, and reviewers out there. The main reason I brought this up as my introductory paragraph is that 'Geex Games' wasn't sure if I'd be interested in reviewing their action/puzzle game 'Hop and Pop', because of the info within my bio description. They didn't hesitate in giving me the review code, but I could tell they were a little worried if I would be able to give the game a fair review. To clear things up I always give every game I review a fair chance no matter what genre it may be. I always go into a game with an unbiased opinion, and only develop my opinion/s after playing it. I also try not to tear a game apart in a rude manner unless I pay a significant amount of money for it only to realize that it was a waste. These are good things to keep in mind when I ask you (the developer) for a review code, or when you request that I do a review for you.

Racedrome Offroad (XBLIG): "Decent Offroad Karting For Only 80 msp!!!"

If I remember correctly I have reviewed a couple XBLIG racing titles in the past here on my blog. I can't honestly recall what they were though ... I used to be into racing games back in the Playstation, and Xbox days. I even spent some time on some Nintendo console (GC, SNES, NES ...) racing games. As time has passed I have lost almost all interest in the genre, but games like 'Racedrome Offroad' kind of rekindle that lost flame. I'm definitely glad that 'Rendercode Games' didn't give up on allowing me to review their game. I had Initially got behind in reviews, and had to turn them down. This is something I definitely don't like doing since I have great respect for XBLIG developers, and their review requests. The good news is that I've been caught up with reviews, and now I'm able to deliver to you my review of 'Racedrome Offroad'. I hope you enjoy the insight I offer on this XBLIG racing title.

Spoids (XBLIG): "Low-Budget Tower Defense With A High-Budget Quality"

Reviews have really picked up for me in the past month. I have gotten several requests from various XBLIG developers, and it has been quite a nice surprise. I'm sincerely honored to get such requests, because my website was made as successful as it is today due to the fact that a couple of indie game developers gave me the chance to prove myself. 'AirWave Games' was among the developers that recently contacted me. While they weren't the ones who made "OtakuDante's Gaming Inferno" possible, they are just as important to me. Initially I knew nothing about 'AirWave Games', or their indie game called 'Spoids'. I'm definitely glad I got the chance to review their game though. It's not often that I get to review an XBLIG title that does everything right, and presents the game in a near XBLA quality. Hopefully I can express what I experienced during my playthrough without making a mess out of things. There's a lot involve in 'Spoids' which means there's a lot of things I need to cover.

Lemmy Lizard vs The Mecha Eggs (XBLIG): "Hardcore Platforming Featuring Lemmy the Lizard"

By now most of you have seen 'Lemmy Lizard vs The Mecha-Eggs' sitting untouched amidst my other 'Future Reviews'. There was a good reason for this. I'm a reviewer who usually likes to get reviews squared away as soon as possible, but the developer of this game requested that I hold off until a patch was released. The request didn't bother me at all since I think it's great that an XBLIG developer thinks enough about their customers that they are willing to issue a patch/update. This lets me know that this developer (Wytchlight) wants to deliver a playable, and fully functioning title. I'm not 100% sure what the update covered, but it was 41.20 MB in size. This tells me that the update must have been significant considering the already small size of the game. With the update finally installed I set out to see what 'Lemmy Lizard vs The Mecha-Eggs' was all about, and in doing so I found a game vastly more involved that my first impressions led me to believe.

Spectrangle360 (XBLIG): "Classic Board Game Goodness"

Most of you have noticed by now that there has been a sort of dry spell on my blog. This is merely due to the fact that I'm caught up on my reviews, and as such I've been enjoying some much needed R&R. As good as rest, and relaxation is I find that I'm constantly in need of a reviewing fix. Reviews are sort of like an addiction for me in that sense. I was definitely glad that the developer behind 'Iron Reaver Games' was persistent in getting me to review their game. I was a little hesitant at first to be honest. This was mainly, because of my concern over the simplicity of 'Spectrangle360'. As a reviewer I tend to stray more towards the titles that require a lot of writing/typing. I love to give a lot of details in my reviews, and that's where my concern came into play. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to give many details about 'Spectrangle360', but I accepted the challenge regardless. I will do my best to give the game a proper review though, and without further adieu ... ladies, and gentlemen I present to you my review of 'Spectrangle360'!

The Houchi Play (XBLIG): "Hysterical Anime Hijinks!"

I have learned many things in my time as an Xbox 360 reviewer. In this business you definitely have to know how to properly contact developers, and publishers in the appropriate manner. Last year I decided to take a leap of faith, and attempt to contact a Japanese developer about reviewing their game. This developer was none other than 'Kohei Gallery'. What I did to request my review copy of their game 'Moe Mekuri 2' eairlier last year was use the google translate service. It was a shot in the dark, but one I was willing to try if it meant I could get that amazing looking game for review. Ultimately it worked, and my request was answered by the kind developer behind 'Kohei Gallery'. It is 2012, and once again I saw a Japanese game that I just had to get for review. It was by 'Kohei Gallery' as well. I used the same contact method I did before, and that's why I'm proud to say I can now deliver to you my second 'Kohei Gallery' game review, 'The Houchi Play'!

Craftimals: Build to the Sun (XBLIG): "A Creative & Simple Building Experience"

I was recently contacted by 'Roppy Chop Studios' about doing a review on their latest XBLIG creation 'Craftimals: Build to the Sun'. I do realize it's been quite a while since the game was released, but the chaos that is my life has put me behind in my reviews. I'm a man of my word though, and I promised the developer I would review their game once I got caught up. The terrific news is that today is that day! With all of that aside I went into this game not really having a clue what it was about. All I new is that it had something to do with building blocks, and square animals. I was educated fairly quickly when I started up the game though, and ultimately realized the vision that the developer had for this particular indie game. It was brilliant to say the least, simple but brilliant.

Robofish (XBLIG): "High Quality Shmup Gaming!"

If you have been following me on Twitter these past few weeks you have likely seen me have my meltdowns about the decline of the gaming industry, and the decline of the quality of video games in general. I have voiced my opinions many times on these matters, and I'm about at my breaking point. I was literally about to give up hope on video games until I got 'Robofish' for review. I'm not saying this to endorse 'Sparkrift (the developer)', or anything like that. I mention it simply, because I found a glimmer of hope in Sparkrift's game. I have finally found a developer who knows how to treat their customers right. I have played 'Robofish' for a good while at this point, and I can tell you that this indie game is top quality on many levels. The game is a dream come true in some regards. I don't want to go overboard with the praise though, so I shall continue on with my review.

Bit Digger (XBLIG): "Voxel Based World Building On A Miniature Scale"

I've been doing XBLIG reviews for a while now. In the process of completing the 100+ reviews I've done here on my blog I have encountered quite a few 'MineCraft' clones. With that being said, I think that 'Scrabosoft (the developer) did an excellent job in simplifying the complexity of the voxel mining/building genre with their release of "Bit Digger". While "Bit Digger" is not as "in your face" as 'MineCraft (MC)', or any other MC clones it still offers highly creative building options. You will find plenty of different blocks with which you can construct whatever your heart desires. The miniature terrain on which this creative world unfolds could easily be compared to that of the terrain of strategy based RPGs such as 'Final Fantasy Tactics'. In fact that's the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the available terrain. As I did my playthrough of 'Bit Digger' I found the simple nature of it to be a relaxing departure from the hectic, and annoying games I usually find myself playing. I can honestly say that 'Bit Digger' may be small in appearance, but what it offers the gamer is much more grand in scale.