XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – MUTANT STORM EMPIRE

While one might assume that today's Xbox Live Arcade release would have a somewhat spooky flavor to it in honor of Halloween, that just isn't the case. What we do get is Mutant Storm Empire, the sequel to one of the Live Arcade's earliest titles Mutant Storm Reloaded.

While I haven't had a chance to try Empire yet, according to the product description and most of the previews I've read, Pom Pom Games has done away with my biggest complaint about it's predecessor – namely, the "level-based" nature of the game. Mutant Storm Empire promises to play all sixteen of it's levels as one continuous experience. If you're like me and prefer that your arcade games to ramp up the difficulty without any kind of break in the action, this could well be a major selling point for you. There is also one other new option worthy of note here – the game will now support two-player co-op action, which should certainly add a whole new flavor to the game.

Ultimately, I think my purchasing decision for Mutant Storm Empire will be based less on it's price tag (800 points – $10), and more on just how long each of said levels are. Mutant Storm Reloaded was a game where each level seemed to end just as it was becoming exciting, and while Empire may remove the delay between levels, if each level is still overly short, those sixteen levels could go by far too quickly. Call it a personal preference, but I feel the best arcade-style shooters are the ones that have that never-ending feeling. Mind you, they don't have to actually be never ending, just make the game long enough that it will take a good while to attain the necessary skill to reach that end. As an example, while it wasn't a shooter, I think many (including myself) felt cheated every time that timer ran out in Pac-Man Championship Edition. (Do you hear me Namco? I'm more than willing to pay again for a version of the game with no timers!) Without a doubt, one of the great features of some of the earliest arcade games was their ability to be played forever on a single coin.

My lecture on arcade game design done, it's time to take a look at the particulars surrounding Mutant Storm Empire;

Title: Mutant Storm Empire
Developer: Pom Pom Games
Publisher: Pom Pom Games
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/31/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Fantasy Violence
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"There's this evil emperor, see, and … well, he's evil. Now someone has decided to put a stop to the whole evilness thing, and that someone is you. It's the right thing to do! Besides, in Mutant Storm Empire, it'll be fun. Battle through line after line of the emperor's minion horde, destroying absolutely everything you can! Blast through bunches of robots, crush colonies of aquatic monsters, smash swarms of UFOs, and demolish devastating bosses. It's a continuous adventure through four immense, strikingly vibrant worlds, and you can fight alone or join forces with a friend in two-player cooperative mode. Enjoy the frenzy!

• The art of blasting: Practice the way of "Blastikkidoo" or the art of blasting, as you plow through the different worlds in Mutant Storm Empire. This all-new sequel to Mutant Storm Reloaded ratchets up the competitive challenge!
• Numerous levels: The four different worlds feature sixteen challenging levels, all in gorgeous high-def 3-D graphics.
• Multiplayer modes: Play co-op offline with a friend, or head into Xbox LIVE® territory and go multiplayer for up to 2 people.
• Achievements: Twelve new achievements to master ranging from easy, such as getting a single combo of beasties, to difficult, such as completing the game on the Black Belt level." - Xbox.com

As for last week's Live Arcade releases, I stand by my comments on each – Battlestar Galactica is still trash and Exit is a game that has a bit of potential for those who enjoy puzzle solving platformers. While I may never even look at BSG again, I'll certainly be revisiting Exit at some point in the future.