They Breathe (XBLIG): "An Eerie Underwater Survival Game"

This is one of those games that takes an old concept, and makes it into something totally unique. If you have ever played the old "Sonic the Hedgehog" games then you'll be familiar with the air bubble concept. The developer (The Working Parts) took the air bubble concept a giant leap forward, and made it into an indie game titled "They Breathe". The game has the player taking on the role of a frog who is constantly diving to the lower depths of what seems to be a flooded forest area. Along the way the frog must compete against other living creatures for air that comes in the form of air bubbles. The game is filled with odd land dwelling, and water dwelling creatures (frogs, moose, giant jellyfish). If you can last long enough to make it to the bottom of the flooded plain then you will be met with a surprise ...

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.

Spartans In Candyland (XBLIG): "THIS ISN'T SPARTAAAAAA! It's A CTF Shmup!"

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play a shmup (shoot 'em up) that featured CTF (Capture the Flag) gameplay along with a Spartans versus Aliens conflict? Well if you have, Marklund Games (the developer) has an answer for you with their latest dual thumbstick shmup/CTF hybrid, "Spartans in Candyland! This one to four player game features a unique roster of four half naked (according to the developer ^.^) gun carrying Spartans who's sole purpose is to survive the constant attacks of swarming Candyland aliens. You have at your disposal (upon pick up) a variety of weapons that include a flamethrower, rocket launcher, grenade launcher, scout rifle, shotgun, and two special abilities (varies per Spartan). The battlefield in which this games unique war takes place is a suburban setup that is 3D in nature, and features a labyrinth style layout filled with parked cars, buildings, and gigantic sweet deserts. The enemies are plenty, but vary little in design. The longer you survive the game the more difficult the aliens will become to kill. Your goal/purpose in this madness is to capture highlighted areas for points which appear at random locations on the map.

Angry Zombie Ninja Cats (XBLIG): "A Unique Platforming Experience"

                                                                              

I absolutely love it when a developer goes out of their way to make a game that is unique. These days there are lots of clones out there, and definitely a lot of zombie games. Oneksoft (AWWW-NECK-SOFT) Games created a zombie game unlike any other I have seen this year. It's a platformer titled "Angry Zombie Ninja Cats", and all of the words within the game's name definitely have something to do with it. The game is an XBLIG title that has the player taking on the role of a cartoon styled ninja cat, and puts them up against some zombified versions of the ninja feline race. While I didn't really find a story, or plot behind this game I imagine that the character you play as is simply trying to eradicate the zombie infestation while gathering all the loot/gems from within the areas/levels.

Zombie Slaughter Is Fun! (XBLIG): "A Dual Thumbstick Zombie Shmup FTW!"

By now most of my readers know I'm a die hard shmup (shoot 'em up) fan. I absolutely love any shmup that offers unique gameplay, and leaderboards (especially online leaderboards). It actually took me by surprise that 'Frooty Game Studios' would not only venture into making a zombie game, but also that they made it a shmup as well. Their latest game 'Zombie Slaughter is Fun!' takes the overhead zombie shmup genre to a new level, and has gamers punishing zombies who are actually fleeing for their lives (or lack there of ^.^). The game features an awesome array of weapon power-ups that literally cover the playing field as you slaughter the incoming/outgoing zombie attackers. The fact that the game is based on highscores, and features a multiplayer only makes it that much better.

Volchaos (XBLIG): "A Punishing Retro Platformer With Humor"

About a week ago 'Fun Infused Games', the developers behind 'Volchaos' requested that I do a review of their game, and as usual I gladly accepted. I'm not really into punishing games that test your patience, but 'Volchaos' didn't seem as extreme as some other games I have previously played ('Platformance: Temple Death' comes to mind ...).  After dealing with family issues for a while I finally got the chance to do my playthrough of the game. It was definitely a unique experience, and I continued to play even though I died numerous times throughout my playthrough. If you're a hasty player then you'll likely suffer the same redundant deaths as I did. I found that I'm a rather impatient player myself, and I definitely payed the price for being so in this game.