Dawn of the Fred (XBLIG)

The zombie genre is a hot topic in many forms of entertainment these days. You'll find zombie survival guides at your local bookstore, zombie television shows via your cable subscription, zombie movies on dvd/blu-ray, and even a crap ton of zombie shmups on the XBLIG marketplace. While I'm not a fan of overused ideas I think StickyDPad Games does well enough with their creation to consider it a "Unique" indie title. Their creation, otherwise known as "Dawn of the Fred" aims to capture your attention with nods to other video games as well as some tribute material that pays homage to earlier zombie movies. The really cool thing about this particular indie though is that the characters, and zombie creatures were all designed by the StickyDPad Games development team. It is this artistic attention to detail that gets the most respect from me. Not many developers would be bold enough to incorporate their own character designs within a game, but in doing so I think the lads, and lasses over at StickyDPad Games deserve some recognition for doing such an amazing job breathing life back into this slowly dying genre of indie shmups.

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.

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 ...

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 ...

Three Dead Zed (XBLIG): "Possibly the Most Unique Zombie Game This Year!!!"

Gentleman Squid Studio has created an amazing one of a kind zombie platformer that is both next-gen in quality, and old school at the same time. It's not often that I've seen a 2D platforming game that features zombies as the main protagonists along with puzzle solving themes all in the same package. Somehow the developer managed to create this game in exactly that way though. 

In the end I think the things that really drew me to this XBLIG title were the art style, and the fact that it was a platformer. I absolutely love platformers, and have been a fan of them since the days of the NES. Seeing 'Three Dead Zed' in the youtube trailer a month earlier really made me smile. It was filled with blood, and gore which made me more than excited about getting my hands on it. When I was contacted by 'Gentlemen Squids Studios' I played it cool, but I was honestly like a kid tearing into a really cool Christmas present.

Snops Attack! Zombie Defense (XBLIG): "The One XBLIG Shmup That Could Have Easily Been A Retail Game!"

DUDE!!! I'm so psyched to do this review! I've been waiting for what seems like an eternity to get my hands on this game! Ever since I watched the Mike Walz's/SnopsGames (The Developer) Youtube videos I knew this game was special, and in the end it did not disappoint. For those of you who are clueless as to what this game is about it's basically a bullet hell shooter, but a bullet hell shooter that is presented in the most grand fashion you could possibly fathom. What sets this gem apart from most XBLIG shmup titles is the breathtaking visuals, amazing character animations, and the superb soundtrack that each compliment the onscreen action in some truly awe-inspiring ways. This game, in all honesty could easily be marketed as a retail game if Mike just added some more features, and bonus material. It's seriously that good.

Face-Plant Adventures (XBLIG): "The World Through The Eyes Of A Piranha Plant ... Not Really Though"

When I first laid eyes on Face-Plant Adventures a couple of thoughts came to mind. The first thing to pop into my mind was the main character looks like a mix between a Piranha Plant (Super Mario Bros.), and the man-eating venus flytrap from "Little Shop of Horrors". Secondly, as I watched the trailer I began to think of the "Sonic the Hedgehog" video game series because of the rail systems, and the checkpoints. Even with similarities such as these though it seems that the developer, oddworm games has decided to make the game like those of the "impossible game" genre. It was an odd choice to say the least, and one that could easily be this games undoing. I've complained numerous times about "impossible games" in the past, because they leave no room for error making it a frustrating experience that no one in their right mind would revisit. After choosing not to complete my playthrough due to difficulties in the HARD setting I decided to go ahead with my review.

Spyleaks (XBLIG): "A Retro Espionage Story Featuring Two Classic Game Genres"

This is one of those indie games that I would have likely passed up if it weren't for the developer (HeartBit Interactive/The Benjamin Ficus) requesting a review. After receiving the developer's request I watched the youtube trailer that was attached in hopes of better understanding what I'd be getting myself into. I was surprised to see that the game had an oddly familiar style of puzzle solving gameplay to it. It was a style of puzzle gameplay that I haven't seen in what seems like ages. If you've ever played the Nintendo game "The Adventures of Lolo" then you'll know what I'm talking about (Be sure to check out the video attached to this review for reference to that). After noticing this similarity along with the fact that there was actual shmup (shoot'em up) levels in the game I was totally hyped! Needless to say I agreed to the request, and did my playthrough so I could give you guys the inside scoop on this Espionage driven puzzle/shmup hybrid.

Pro Basketball Shooter (XBLIG): "A Single Button Arcade Style Basketball Simulation Game"

When I was a young fellow growing up video games had not really overtaken my life. I would often times play outside sports with my brothers, and sisters such as baseball, basketball, and even some tennis. It may be hard to believe, but I was actually a fairly active person back then. As I grew up though priorities changed, and I found myself enthralled by the world of gaming. I became so obsessed with the interactive technology that I spent many hours of my life playing video games, and continue to do so to this day. I eventually ended up becoming the video game journalist I am today as a result of my choices. With that being said it is nice to be able to play sports games even if it is just a simulator like the one I'm reviewing here. It brings back memories, and actually makes me want to get back outside and play. Maybe one day I will ...

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. 

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'!

BRAND (XBLIG): "Update Details"

Last year I reviewed a unique XBLIG title called 'BRAND'. It was a game by 'Nine Dots Studio' that had it's own sort of mythology, and objective missions involving the making of a worthy sword. If you want to go back, and check out my review on it feel free to do so. You can search for the link to the blog via the search option that's available towards the top of the home page. The point of this article though, is that 'Nine Dots Studio' has issued an update for 'BRAND' that fixes a lot of the bugs, and glitches that the game had. I will leave you the list of fixes that the developer sent me through a recent email ...

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.

End of Days: Infected vs Mercs (XBLIG): "An Affordable & Well Presented FPS With A Zombie Twist"

Nowadays consoles of all types are dominated by some type of FPS title. Whether it's the "Call of Duty" series or "Battlefield 3" you've likely experienced it first hand. Recently 'Sick Kreations' released a $3 FPS shooter titled 'End of Days: Infected vs Mercs' which boldly stood to prove itself against the previously mentioned $60 games. It was presented with all the FPS glory worthy of a CoD (Call of Duty) game, and the back story reminiscent of the 'Resident Evil' series. The game was marketed mainly as an online multiplayer, and supported up to 16 players in three different match types. Like 'CoD', and other FPS out there it featured FFA (Free-For-All), and TDM (Team Deathmatch). One other mode that stood out from the rest was 'Head Fest' in which the characters heads were 2X their normal size, and the goal in it was to make head shots only. With the mysterious plague driven story/intro, and impressive FPS gameplay mechanics I think 'Sick Kreations' made a game that could actually contend with their high end FPS competitors.

Nyan Cat Adventure (XBLIG): "A Game Of Sensory Overload Featuring Nyan Cat"

It wasn't until I reviewed "Bloody Checkers (XBLIG)" earlier this year, and found the hidden Nyan Cat easter egg in it that I realized what Nyan Cat was all about. On my occasional hunt for new Youtube videos to watch I would sometimes see Nyan Cat related videos that were uploaded. I passed them up many times thinking that it looked like another silly trend. After a while I noticed that it was seriously becoming a trend, and that other Nyan Cat type creatures were being shown on Youtube as well. One day (recently) when I was searching for review material on I noticed a gameplay video of "Nyan Cat Adventure", and out of sheer curiosity I watched it. After seeing what I saw I just had to get it for review. I realized that it was a score based game, and to be honest it looked really interesting to me. As usual I sought out the developer's (21 Street Games LLC) permission to review their game, and did my playthrough of all the modes before finally sitting down to do this review.

Escape Goat (XBLIG): "A Truly Impressive Retro Platformer"

I recently reviewed two platformers that were lacking in quality gameplay. The games in question offered a challenge, but unfortunately the challenge was based on avoiding cheap deaths. when I sent an inquiry about 'Escape Goat' I was seriously hoping that this wouldn't be a repeat of one of those 'impossible' games. MagicalTimeBean, the developers behind this retro marvel did not disappoint. I was able to complete the entire game without suffering from too many pointless deaths (there were a few). The puzzle solving in the game took a good bit of thinking, but it wasn't something that you had to be a genius at to solve. I ended up really liking the game. The fact that the developer included a detailed level editor made the game even better.

Platform Hack (XBLIG): "A 2D Hack 'n Slash/RPG Platformer"

I have noticed what seems to be a slightly growing trend when it comes to XBLIG, and XBLA RPG releases. I recently did a review on 'Dungeon Defenders' which was an RPG/Tower Defense hybrid, and now 'Daydalus Studios' has released an XBLIG hybrid RPG of their own. The RPG I speak of is 'Platform Hack' which is a 2D hack 'n slash RPG platformer. It has it's own unique look with hand drawn artwork/features as wells as a some very involved gameplay mechanics. In the game you will earn points to further unlock your powers, and special abilities as you level up from experience which is gained from the enemies you slay. There are four different levels/worlds to conquer, as well as five different larger than life bosses to defeat in order to save your precious Sophie. Along the way you will also find 20 treasures that are well hidden throughout the maze-like levels. When, and if you are able to defeat the evil character that is behind Sophie's disappearance you will be faced with a final choice that will conclude the game in one of two ways ...