Colonies: NeoCiv (XBLIG): "A Beautifully Rendered 3D Science Fiction Indie"

I had the opportunity earlier this year to review one of 'Guy Galer/Twist-ed Games' XBLIG titles "Bureau Agent Kendall". If I remember correctly Guy Galer was one of the first indie developers I contacted for review purposes. He was a pleasant guy who was willing to give me a shot at reviewing his visually, and mechanically impressive game. At that time I had found the trailer to "Bureau Agent Kendall" on Youtube, and was truly impressed at how amazing the graphics appeared. I knew at that time that Guy Galer was a very experienced developer who knew how to deliver quality games even if they were just indie titles. Recently during my search for new XBLIG titles to review I stumbled upon Guy Galer's latest creation, "Colonies: NeoCiv". I immediately went to Youtube in search for some gameplay footage, and after watching some I knew I had to get this game for review.

FireFly Vegas (XBLIG): "A Visually Brilliant Arena Based Shmup"

There a variety of game types within the shmup genre including side-scrollers, bullet hell, and arena based games. RockMint, the developer behind "FireFlyVegas" created their game with graphics that truly suited the title. The game is an enclosed arena based shmup full of brilliantly lit neon shaped enemies that are constantly attacking, and filling the playing field. FireFly Vegas features two different game types (Retro & Dynamic) along with two modes of play (Clock & Survival) in each one. Retro mode takes the classic arena formula, and applies some soothing music with fast paced shmup action. Dynamic is an expert mode that allows the player to rotate the arena 360 degrees while fending of approaching enemies. As with most shmups there are power-ups, point multipliers, and various weapon types that can be obtained/used. This is a dual thumbstick shmup that also utilizes the shoulder buttons for shooting, thrusting, and even jumping. While the game is similar to other shmups it is still it's own game.

Pinball FX2 (XBLA): "MARVEL Pinball: Vengeance & Virtue"

Zen Studios, the developer of all 'Pinball FX2' tables have once again allowed me to review their latest release. This time around they created four new tables in the 'MARVEL Pinball" series. This DLC set was properly titled "Vengeance & Virtue". The brand new tables feature 'X-MEN', 'THOR', 'Ghost Rider', and 'Moon Knight' themes. Each table has details that stay true to the corresponding comic book hero's, and villain's stories. As with any Pinball FX2 table there are 3D elements, impressive voice acting, and animated events that accent each table's theme. After playing each table for a while I found them to have a moderate to hard difficulty, and a variety of different features that take some getting used to. I will breakdown each table's pro's, con's and details for you in this review.

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.