Make it Rain (XBLIG)

There are a handful of things I look for in a video game. Originality is likely the most important to me, but subject matter also plays a huge role in the games I'm seeking out. During one of my daily XBL marketplace browsings I happened upon a an XBLIG title that caught my undivided attention. It featured an original subject matter (pole dancing), and seemed to be interesting enough to inquire about. This indie which is appropriately titled, "Make it Rain" had some sexy elements to it that obviously would appeal to an adult film journalist as myself. I sought out the developer (24kt Studios) via the world wide web, and humbly asked for a review code. They replied shortly afterwards giving me two codes for review. I quickly downloaded the game, grateful for the opportunity to once again supply my readers with something new to read about. In the end I played the game only for a short while realizing that the review would not be as lengthy as the ones I usually provide. Even so I bring you this review on a positive note, thankful to the developer for the chance to get back in the game (so to speak).

CastleStorm (XBLA)

Zen Studios is a gaming company that is mainly known for their amazing arcade style pinball releases. I for one have spent many hours enjoying the various tables that they have created on both the Xbox 360, and PS3 consoles. I have even spread the word on the latest table releases here on this blog. While most of Zen Studio's early focus was on the previously mentioned pinball consoles releases it was nice to see Zen Studios branch out recently, and bring their award worthy games to different platforms (Mobile & PC). What surprised, and intrigued me the most about this developer though was their decision to make a type of game that gamers usually don't associate with the Zen Studios brand of gaming. This newly released game I speak of is none other than "CastleStorm". It's a unique medieval arcade style experience that seems to borrow the quirkiness of Zen Studio's "Epic Quest" Zen Pinball/Pinball FX2 table. It even takes the inspiration leaps and bounds further. The game definitely offers a lot more than it's pinball based predecessors, and does so in an entirely new way. Whether, or not the gaming community will welcome it with open arms remains to be seen though.

BattleBlock Theater (XBLA)

Recently I was blessed enough to have a friend give me a code for The Behemoth's "BattleBlock Theater". I had tried my hardest to get a code from the source, but it turned out to be another failed attempt. Thankfully though @WOLFZKRIEGER did have a code to spare, and because he was so kind I'm able to deliver this review to you (my readers). My thanks goes out to him for his generosity. I will definitely try my best to not let anyone down with this review, and believe me I've already somewhat preplanned what I'm going to say. I'm hoping that by some chance in hell I'll be able at least add a minute hint of humor to my review since this game is overflowing with many "LOL!" moments. It only seems right to me.

PESTER (XBLIG)

Earlier on this year, or late last year I decided to buy an indie shmup from the XBLIG marketplace with the spare 80 msp that I had left over. The shmup I speak of was titled "Super Killer Hornet", and it was developed by Flump Studios. It featured unique classic shmup (shoot 'em up) gameplay with an interesting mathematical power-up system. It was this math based feature that really caught my attention, and held it for quite some time. The math system had definitely added an edge that you would not expect from an arcade style shmup, and it seemed to fit in perfectly. For some reason though I totally lost track of the developer's name over the months, and thought that "Super Killer Hornet" would likely be this developer's only XBLIG release.

Thankfully though Flump Studios has made a return with a new shmup title, and they seemingly intend on bringing more innovative shmups to the XBLIG marketplace in the months to come. Today though I'll be reviewing a recently released Flump Studios shmup titled "Pester". Unlike the previous shmup title it pays homage to the classic arcade experience of old with numerous features, and modes that the older generation of gamers will be able to relate to.

God Mode (XBLA): "Welcome To Hades!"

Atlus is a game developer who is well known for their interesting takes on various video game genres. In the past they have created a popular RPG series called "Persona", and even co-developed a fighting game spin-off based on the same series. The game that stands out most for me though (besides God Mode) is "Rock of Ages". That game was leaps, and bounds "outside of the box". The wacky art direction, and interesting gameplay landed this boulder rolling strategy title in one of my earlier yearly "Top 10" lists. Needless to say I got extremely hyped when I saw Atlus's trailer for "God Mode" earlier this year. In fact I was so hyped about this game that I took it upon myself to spread the word about it through the "Twitterverse". In those early days before the release I was confident that this hellish arcade title would be fitting of my 2013's "Top Ten" list. At this point your likely wondering if it was good, or bad? Unfortunately though I cannot give you my verdict just yet. I have to give you details on the "Meat & Bones" of this afterlife arcade experience before delivering my final critique. So, without further adieu ladies, and gentlemen let us get into this review of "God Mode" ...

First Impressions - S.D.G.T. (XBLIG)

As most of you already know I have had the Xbox 360 indie game "S.D.G.T." listed on my future reviews section for quite some time now. At one point I did take it down though, because I thought the developer had abandoned it. As it turns out the the peer review process took longer than expected for this game, and was released later on due to the process. After I finally got my hands on a review copy of the game I found that there were still some glitches going on within the game's menu systems, and that they were sort of game breaking in nature. I told the developer about this situation, and he has in turn told me that he will be issuing a patch. Upon hearing his response I have decided to hold off on the official review, and just tell you guys what I think about it so far. I'll also talk a little bit about what the game is, and what it offers. I call it my "First Impressions", if you will.

Death Goat (XBLIG): "!@#$% Hardcore!!!"

In the video game industry there are different levels of "Hardcore". Netherealm Studios, and Midway began a trend with their highly successful ultra-violent fighter "Mortal Kombat", and even Rockstar Games stepped in to develop their own lewd rule-breaking series called "Grand Theft Auto". Very rarely do you see an indie developer delve deep into this seriously "Hardcore" stuff though. Thankfully there are some indie developers willing to push the limits with more "adult" themed content. Brian Ferrara, and Nocturnal Studios joined forces to bring us indie enthusiasts a truly awesome, and hardcore shmup (shoot 'em up). This game, otherwise known as Death Goat is filled to the brim with gory graphics, and a noteworthy heavy metal soundtrack. Collectively it brings a whole new meaning to the word "Hardcore". Even the art style seems to pay homage to the heavy metal lifestyle that many of you will likely be familiar with. You'll find animations resembling tattoos, and a color scheme fitting of such skin art. As a complete package "Death Goat" is a thoroughly enjoyable experience that takes the gamer deep into the bowels of hell, and makes them like it enough to return again, and again for more.

Rise of the Ravager (XBLIG)

End of days prophecies, and theories are a dime a dozen these days. You'll find that mankind's history is filled with all sorts of interesting ideas relating to the ultimate demise of the world's population. Things like the wrath of God/gods, death by Mother Nature, Alien invasions, and even the ever popular zombie apocalypse are among the civilization's smiting occurrences that are described through man's many age old teachings. It seems that XBLIG developer Gentleman Squid Studios has also decided to join these majority of theorists, and prophets in order to give their own take on a well known mythological tale of global destruction. Their game Rise of the Ravager uses the Mayan end of days mythology as it's cornerstone reference, and twists it a bit to make a unique interpretation of the devastating events of doomsday. Through shmup style gameplay, and interesting story panel art this high quality developer breathes vivid life into the possible fall of man.

Ultimate Dodgeball (XBLIG)

K-Dog Games returns to the indie forefront with one heck of an interesting sports title. Not only is Ultimate Dodgeball a fun, and engaging gaming experience, but people are actually still playing this game online. It's a rarity to find online indies that are still being played weeks after their initial release. A year, or two ago I actually reviewed one of K-Dog Games' sports title that dealt with hacky sack. Just as I found that title to be fun this game also beams with such quality. It features a nice selection of multiplayer oriented gameplay modes, and options to choose from which is always a plus. If you like to play alone then fret not though as Ultimate Dodgeball offers AI oriented matches as well. When I tell you that this game offers more bang for your buck I'm most definitely not lying.

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams (XBLA)

Believe it, or not this isn't the first time that "Giana Sisters" has made it's debut as a video game. Before Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams was a reality there was a Nintendo DS game that sported a similar title. This game was none other than "Giana Sisters DS". This original title seemed to borrow inspiration from the Super Mario Bros. franchise, and featured some level designs/details that were very similar to those sorts of games. Even the art that accompanied the game seem to further reflect the developer's uncanny tribute based game design. Luckily for us though Black Forest Games picked up the title, re-imagined the gameplay, and made "Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams" a more original experience. Sure it still had the slight super Mario Bros. tribute content from time to time, but it wasn't as "in your face" as it was before. With new gameplay mechanics, and greatly enhanced visuals 'Black Forest Games' has set out to impress it's audience with possibly one of the best platformers released this year.

Alien Spidy (XBLA): "An Intergalactic Web Swinger"

Alien Spidy is a simple yet complex arcade platformer. It utilizes simple controls, and challenging gameplay to entertain the player. At the heart of the game is a brief story that is brought to life through a cinematic 3D intro. This visually interesting tale of space exploration, and a lost love ultimately begins with a line of dialogue that all science fiction fans will recognize. This line of course is none other than the one that starts off every "Star Wars" movie (In a galaxy far, far away ...). Within the 3D spectacle that is the intro the gamer will catch a glimpse of the game's protagonist, 'Spidy' as he waves goodbye to his female companion who is headed to planet Earth. After monitoring her progress for a short while (via an intergalactic control panel) he finds that his female friend has crash landed on the intended destination. In a panic Spidy hops aboard a spaceship, and zooms out into space after her. With a quick, and humorous nod towards the camera Spidy shuttles off towards Earth in hopes of rescuing his lost loved one. This my friends is where the story ends, and the game begins.

Investigate This: Scarecrow! (XBLIG): "A Modern-Day Detective Tale With A Twist"

Guy Galer of Twist-Ed Games never ceases to amaze me with his interactive game creations. After seeing the file size (448+ MB) of his latest XBLIG adventure I new he had poured more into this title than he ever has before. Upon loading it up, and getting into the game I discovered just how true this statement really was. He not only updated his usually impressive CG graphics, and cutscenes, but also added interesting dialogue based references as well as some truly eerie tunes. Looking back On my playthrough I can say with certainty that this XBLIG title's graphics, and presentation rivals some of the better XBLA games that have been released in the past. In essence Guy Galer (The developer) makes an affordable yet very noteworthy game that will interest any open-minded gamer. With that in mind let us move into the bulk of this review ...

Phantom Breaker: Battlegrounds (XBLA) "A Retro Beat 'em Up With Fighting Game Mechanics"

Around 2010 it was announced that video game publisher 5pb, and game developer 7sixty were going to release a 2D fighting game that included characters from various anime, and manga series. Among the included anime, and manga were the popular titles "Steins;Gate", and "Chaos;Head". This extensive fighter was supposedly going to introduce new fighting game mechanics, and was ultimately slated for a release here in the states. Unfortunately due to some issues the developer, and publisher of the game never released it to the US public. Sadly it ended up being a Japan only release.

After 2011, and 2012 passed rumors emerged through various video game related sites that a "Phantom Breaker" spin-off title was scheduled for release on the Xbox 360. It turns out that these rumors were indeed fact, and that a new "Phantom Breaker" was actually on it's way to the US marketplace. Through some research I found out, as most of you likely did that the new "Phantom Breaker", titled "Phantom Breaker: Battlegrounds" wasn't going to be the fighter that many of us had hoped for. Instead the new game was going to be a retro styled beat 'em up with fighting game mechanics. The idea sounded off-the-wall to me, but after getting my hands on a review copy I found out otherwise. The game was solid in every aspect, and offered a truly fun experience, the likes of which I haven't seen in a very long time. The new publisher Mages, and developer Division2 have produced a digital product that was definitely worth having regardless of the fact that it isn't the initially scheduled fighting game release.

H.i.v.e. (XBLIG): "A Visually Pleasing Strategic Board Game"

When I first got the request from Sean Colombo of "BlueLine Game Studios" I was honestly skeptical. I've seen board games come, and go on the XBLIG marketplace. I have even reviewed one or two of them here. For the most part the board game based indies you'll find are neat in their own respect, but these newer generations of gamers love the more ultra-violent, and action packed games offered today. It's a sad truth that becomes more evident with time. As I first got into the game via the solo aspect (2 Player Pass and Play) of "H.i.v.e." I thought, "Dude, what have I gotten myself into!?". Thankfully Sean Colombo (The Developer) was willing to play some online matches with me. After spending a little over 30 minutes playing five matches with him my thoughts turned from dread, to excitement. The game was both fun, and engaging. It's not often that you'll find an indie board game this fun. Hopefully through my following review I will be able to properly relay what this game is all about.

Serious Sam Double D XXL (XBLA): "A Content Packed Indie With An XBLA Facade"

In 2011, prior to the release of "Serious Sam 3: BFE" it was announced through various media outlets that Croteam was partnering up with some indie developers on a promotional project. This project included three Serious Sam spin-offs from three different indie game developers. One of the developers would be releasing a Serious Sam title as a "runner" type of game for mobile devices. It would be called "Serious Sam: Kamikaze Attack!". Another game that was scheduled for release was a turn based Serious Sam RPG titled, "Serious Sam: The Random Encounter". As of now I do not know whether, or not either of these games ever seen the light of day. One thing is for certain though, "Serious Sam 3: BFE" was released before the indie spin-offs were. The third, and final indie spin-off I'm here to review today will be released on the 20th of this month. It's a 2D sides-crolling platformer by the ever popular XBLIG developer, "Mommy's Best Games", and "Devolver Digital". The game is not entirely unique though since it was previously released as a STEAM title. With that being said though, "Mommy's Best Games" did go out of their way to add some additional content for the gamers.

Undead Empire: Hellfire (XBLIG): "Sequel to Big Rook Game's Apocalyptic Horror-Survival Shmup!!!"

During my time as an XBLIG journalist I've played a handful of noteworthy top-down zombie shmups (shoot'em ups). Whether it was "Claustrophobia", "Block Zombies", or "Attack of the Zombie Horde" each game stood alone as a somewhat unique experience that entertained me for quite some time after my initial review. Big Rook Game's latest sequel, "Undead Empire: Hellfire" also provided such fun induced playthroughs as the previously mentioned games did. While I have never played the original title I was definitely glad to see that the developer included recap of the last game's plot during the intro sequence. It helped me to understand what exactly it was that my chosen character was fighting for. In this particular series it turns out that the zombie apocalypse was started by a mad scientist whose plan was thwarted by 6 unique individuals who were trying desperately to save mankind from the threat. As you can imagine the story did not end with the first game. The fight began anew as the reality of six heroes situation presented itself in a very unlikely manner.

Special Forces: Team X (XBLA): "An Impressive Mashup Of Various Shooter Genres"

Atari, and Zombie Studios have worked together to bring us what could be best described as a third person cover based shooter. The game itself seems to borrow what's great from other popular shooter titles, and make a unique experience with the well known game mechanics. There's definitely a hint of games like "Borderlands", "Call of Duty", and even a tiny fraction of "HALO" thrown into the mix. If I had to compare it to any shooter series though it would definitely be more like that of the "Gears of War" series. The cover-to-cover combat is definitely the game's more prominent feature, and focal point. While the game definitely borrows some ideas it still stands alone as a unique gaming experience.

Arcadecraft (XBLIG): "Run Your Own Virtual Arcade!!!"

As a youngster I often took advantage of family trips to Kmart, the movie theater, and the local mall. These were the only arcade sources that were available in my area unfortunately. The good thing was that these sources kept some impressive up-to-date arcade cabinets in stock for shoppers to enjoy. I was able play games like Street Fighter Alpha, Tekken 5 & 6, Soul Calibur, Killer Instinct, and even Samurai Showdown III: Blades of Blood. I ended up spending a sh*t ton of quarters whenever I got the chance to do so. It was a public outlet that allowed me to compete against other gamers I never knew of. Keep in mind this was long before online gaming ever came into play. Looking back those were definitely some of my greatest gaming days. I guess my point in reminiscing is that Arcade venues are becoming a thing of the past. These days you only hear about the stories from gamers who actually lived their lives playing at the arcades. Thanks to 'FireBase Ind.' though we now have a cool little indie game that breathes life into the arcade legends of old. While it may not mirror the experience it offers the gamer a peek into what it was like to run such a business. In essence it's an homage to an almost extinct genre of gaming.

Skulls of the Shogun (XBLA): "The Arcade Game That Could Have Been An Indie"

You guys have heard me complain about PRs in the past, and having to deal with them, so I will not got into a rant about dealing with 17Bit. I will however say that thanks to my good friend WOLFZKRIEGER I was able to gain a code for this latest XBLA title. 17Bit totally ignored me, so they will not be getting any credit from me. If it weren't for my friend you would not be reading this following review from me. As such my thanks goes out to my friend WOLFZKRIEGER for being so generous. I hope that one day I can share a code with him as well. With all of that aside let us delve deep into the world of the interesting XBLA strategy hybrid that is "Skulls of the Shogun"!

Platformer From Hell (XBLIG): "A Man & His Epic Journey For a Pastrami Sandwich"

If you've followed some of my previous indie platformer reviews you'll know that I'm not a fan of the "Impossible" sub-genre. I find myself agitated enough by the online tomfoolery I encounter on a daily basis that tackling such a game would only irritate me further. Regardless of my stance on such games I still like to give XBLIG titles a proper chance, if they are original enough. I think Hoosier Games' latest "impossible" platformer, "Platformer From Hell" is probably the most original one I've seen thus far. The plot, or background story is so off-the-wall that it pulls you in, and makes you want to try over and over to complete it. Thinking back on my brief playthrough, I never really got angry. I think the unique visual design, and overall look intrigued me enough to do my best. Without going on too much further though let us get into the core of this review ...