Pixelosity (XBLIG): "A Simple Shmup With Great Replay Value"

Pixelosity is the simplest indie game/shmup that I have ever played. Being the in-depth reviewer that I am it kind of presented a problem, and as a result this will likely be the shortest review I will do ...

Pixelostiy is a simple 1, or 2 player sidescrolling shmup that was developed by 'GLHF Games'. You pilot a ship (that is constructed of simple pixel blocks) as it flys along with a rainbow trailing behind it (kind of like Nyan Cat ^.^). Your goal is to try to shoot down other ships, and get the highest score in the process of doing so. You can accumulate chains (multiple enemies killed without getting hit) that add to your ever-growing score. As you fly through the game your score will gradually rise along with the additional points that you get for destroying ships in your path. Like any shmup you can find power-ups from the fallen enemies/ships that will aid you in your progress. I've actually only found a few of them though. The power-ups I did find included bullet overdrive (rapid fire), double bullets (shoots a wide spray of shots), and a bomb (clears the screen of enemy ships). You have a limited amount of lives in 'Pixelosity', so using power-ups to your advantage will definitely help out.

Worms Ultimate Mayhem (XBLA): "Humorous Turn Based Worm Combat"

Whenever I request a game for review I usually have a good idea what it's about. This time around I found myself in new territory not knowing much about the Worms games. I knew that Worms had been around for a good while, and I even remember seeing a version of it released on the PSN when I had my PS3. I always thought it looked like an interesting game series, so I decided to seek out this latest version for review. I have to say that I've been quite fortunate as a new game reviewer with the support that developers have given me. I was quite excited to hear that 'Team17 Software Ltd.' was willing to not only give me a chance to review their new game, but also to allow me to do an interview with them. It has been a new experience for me, and I hope to do more interviews with my upcoming reviews if my readers like this one. Without further hesitation I present to you my review of Team17's 'Worms Ultimate Mayhem' ...

Exclusive Interview With John Dennis, Head of Design, Team17 Software Ltd. (Worms Ultimate Mayhem)

I'm a gaming blogger who really likes to expand what I do by learning, and doing new things with my reviews. In my recent quest to obtain review codes I was lucky enough to get a code for 'Worms Ultimate Mayhem' from Team17 Software Ltd. I just recently started my venture into reviewing XBLA game titles, and it's definitely Awesome when developers are willing to give me an opportunity to prove my worth in the online reviewing community. Being able to get my reviews out to my readers is also very rewarding. In the process of my request Team17 offered to do an interview with me, and it didn't take me long (maybe a minute ^.^) to decide to take them up on that offer. The following is the interview between me (OtakuDante), and John Dennis who is the Head of Design for Team17. I hope you enjoy it, and that it offers some insight into Team17's Worms universe ...

Astralia (XBLIG): "50% Shmup & 50% Strategy"

Astralia is a new breed of shoot 'em up that incorporates strategy into it's gameplay. I wasn't really quite sure what to expect when I first layed eyes on this unique XBLIG title, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised. Astroboid Games, the developer behind this shmup hybrid brings the game to life with a unique story about materia, AI, and the fall of the universe as a result of it. The game features one of the most visually impressive tutorials I have ever seen. It not only includes a video to go along with the tutorial, but the game also does a nice job of explaining the rules as you actually play. Once you get a handle on the controls you'll be set to enjoy this amazing science fiction adventure as it is told through this indie game's presentation.

Wizorb (XBLIG): "Classic Brick Breaking With An RPG Twist"

During one of my routine searches for new games to review I found a youtube trailer of 'Wizorb' which looked just like the NES games I grew up with. I was definitely looking forward to reviewing this game, and sent my review request in early. I was glad that 'Tribute Games' gave me a chance to review Wizorb. It's not often that a reviewer such as myself gets to review an indie game from an experienced developer who has worked on mainstream games. I found out through an email from 'Tribute Games' that they have contributed to such titles as 'Deus Ex: Human Revolution', and 'Scott Pilgrim vs The World'. I even found that some of the developers that make up the 'Tribute Games' team  formerly worked for Eidos, and Ubisoft which I thought was quite noteworthy. I could definitely tell that the 'Tribute' team knew how to make a quality game by their background, but as a reviewer I had to see for myself ...

Convict Interactive - Rebecca Fernandez (Convict Minigames)

You can probably imagine that a blogger such as myself hardly gets any personal review requests, but that when I do it really means a lot. It tells me that I'm doing something right, and that I'm connecting well with the gaming community. Recently 'Rebecca Frenandez' of Convict Interactive contacted me about reviewing her new XBLIG game. I had never actually looked into the game until she sent me an email. This morning I took the time to look at the youtube video that was attached to the email letter as well as another video I found about Rebecca herself. I think its definitely cool that new developers are finding their place in the gaming industry. It's always good to see new talent, and new games arise from these new developers' imaginations. I can seriously see Rebecca going far in the gaming industry even if she is only doing indie games at the moment. After watching that video about her attending the E3 convention I can definitely tell she has the motivation for it, as well as the education to make her ideas a reality. I hope to be able to review more of her games as time goes on. I'm going to include the two videos I previously mentioned in this post, so you can see what I'm speaking of ...