XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – SWITCHBALL & WORD PUZZLE

Another Wednesday, another two Xbox Live Arcade titles. This week we have two offbeat titles in the form of Switchball and Word Puzzle. These two titles have been completely off my radar, so I really don't know what to expect beyond that which their descriptions and screen shots would seem to imply. What I can say based on that is that I'm really not too enthusiastic about either title given the fact that both are tagged at 800 points ($10) apiece.

According to it's description, Switchball seems to be a game very much along the lines of Atari Games' classic arcade title Marble Madness. Players control a ball that must be guided through a maze packed with obstacles within a set time limit. Let's take a look;

Title: Switchball
Developer: Atomic Elbow
Publisher: Sierra Online
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/07/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – Everyone
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Control an ever-changing ball along a narrow winding maze suspended in midair in Switchball™. Stunning 3-D environments including Skyworld, Iceworld, and Caveworld are the background for this puzzle game based on real-world physics. Maneuver your way through challenging levels jam-packed with obstacles and traps. Transform the marbleball with metal, electric and lighter-than-air properties to quickly get through each area. Then go online and play the competitive multiplayer courses.

• Action puzzler: Inventive and fun puzzle-driven play is based on real world physical interactions.
• Exciting game environments: Beautiful and elegant 3-D graphics offer panoramic views of 30 single player levels in five amazing environments: Skyworld, Iceworld, Caveworld, Cloudworld, and Lavaworld. 
• Traps and obstacles: Navigate more than 40 interactive objects including wooden blocks, sheets of cloth, spinning fans, magnets, cannons, and many more.
• Transform: Morph your marble to take advantage of the unique physical properties of the dense and heavy metalball, the super-charged powerball, or the floating airball, and find your way through the level.
• Multiplayer modes: Join in the fun with co-op and competitive racing courses." - Xbox.com

Next up we have… Word Puzzle. Seriously. Could they have tried any less on this game's title? Probably not seeing how this seems to just be an electronic version of the word search games we all played as children. How this is going to relate to a fun experience or even come close to being worth 800 points ($10) is beyond me.

Title: Word Puzzle
Developer: Interserv International Inc.
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/07/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2 / 2-4
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"You'll never think about word search puzzles the same way again.Word Puzzle takes a new spin on the classic game, plunging you into an action-packed arcade experience complete with combos, exploding word bombs, unique 3-D boards, achievements, and the chance to prove your textual superiority against other players. Five different game modes and frequently updated downloadable word packs give you nearly unlimited flexibility and excitement. So put down that pen and paper, because this is a word search for the 21st century!

• New twists: Exploding word bombs, prop cards used to distract your opponents, 3-D game boards, and other effects combine to provide a word search game like you've never played before.
• Five unique gameplay modes: Try Freeplay for traditional word search fun, Arcade mode to score impressive combos, Local Battle for competitive play on a single console, Live Multiplayer with support for up to 4 players online, and check out the unique Survival Mode where word bombs can explode, and have to be defused.
• Camera-enabled: The game supports the Xbox LIVE® Vision camera during live match play.
• Achievements and leaderboard: Twelve new achievements to master and a leaderboard to compare your word search skills with others." - Xbox.com

As for last week's Live Arcade title, Mutant Storm Empire was a bit of a let down. The game simply felt uninspired – and given the fact that while they did indeed remove the loading screens between levels, they did it by making the player travel through another area where nothing happens. So really, they just replaced a static loading screen with an interactive one. I had high hopes for MS:E, but the levels felt too short and there was that feeling that I'd "been there and done that" in every part of the game I played. It's another game that I'd have to say isn't a bad game, but certainly isn't one that I'd purchase.

XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – SWITCHBALL & WORD PUZZLE

Another Wednesday, another two Xbox Live Arcade titles. This week we have two offbeat titles in the form of Switchball and Word Puzzle. These two titles have been completely off my radar, so I really don't know what to expect beyond that which their descriptions and screen shots would seem to imply. What I can say based on that is that I'm really not too enthusiastic about either title given the fact that both are tagged at 800 points ($10) apiece.

According to it's description, Switchball seems to be a game very much along the lines of Atari Games' classic arcade title Marble Madness. Players control a ball that must be guided through a maze packed with obstacles within a set time limit. Let's take a look;

Title: Switchball
Developer: Atomic Elbow
Publisher: Sierra Online
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/07/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – Everyone
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Control an ever-changing ball along a narrow winding maze suspended in midair in Switchball™. Stunning 3-D environments including Skyworld, Iceworld, and Caveworld are the background for this puzzle game based on real-world physics. Maneuver your way through challenging levels jam-packed with obstacles and traps. Transform the marbleball with metal, electric and lighter-than-air properties to quickly get through each area. Then go online and play the competitive multiplayer courses.

• Action puzzler: Inventive and fun puzzle-driven play is based on real world physical interactions.
• Exciting game environments: Beautiful and elegant 3-D graphics offer panoramic views of 30 single player levels in five amazing environments: Skyworld, Iceworld, Caveworld, Cloudworld, and Lavaworld. 
• Traps and obstacles: Navigate more than 40 interactive objects including wooden blocks, sheets of cloth, spinning fans, magnets, cannons, and many more.
• Transform: Morph your marble to take advantage of the unique physical properties of the dense and heavy metalball, the super-charged powerball, or the floating airball, and find your way through the level.
• Multiplayer modes: Join in the fun with co-op and competitive racing courses." - Xbox.com

Next up we have… Word Puzzle. Seriously. Could they have tried any less on this game's title? Probably not seeing how this seems to just be an electronic version of the word search games we all played as children. How this is going to relate to a fun experience or even come close to being worth 800 points ($10) is beyond me.

Title: Word Puzzle
Developer: Interserv International Inc.
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/07/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2 / 2-4
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"You'll never think about word search puzzles the same way again.Word Puzzle takes a new spin on the classic game, plunging you into an action-packed arcade experience complete with combos, exploding word bombs, unique 3-D boards, achievements, and the chance to prove your textual superiority against other players. Five different game modes and frequently updated downloadable word packs give you nearly unlimited flexibility and excitement. So put down that pen and paper, because this is a word search for the 21st century!

• New twists: Exploding word bombs, prop cards used to distract your opponents, 3-D game boards, and other effects combine to provide a word search game like you've never played before.
• Five unique gameplay modes: Try Freeplay for traditional word search fun, Arcade mode to score impressive combos, Local Battle for competitive play on a single console, Live Multiplayer with support for up to 4 players online, and check out the unique Survival Mode where word bombs can explode, and have to be defused.
• Camera-enabled: The game supports the Xbox LIVE® Vision camera during live match play.
• Achievements and leaderboard: Twelve new achievements to master and a leaderboard to compare your word search skills with others." - Xbox.com

As for last week's Live Arcade title, Mutant Storm Empire was a bit of a let down. The game simply felt uninspired – and given the fact that while they did indeed remove the loading screens between levels, they did it by making the player travel through another area where nothing happens. So really, they just replaced a static loading screen with an interactive one. I had high hopes for MS:E, but the levels felt too short and there was that feeling that I'd "been there and done that" in every part of the game I played. It's another game that I'd have to say isn't a bad game, but certainly isn't one that I'd purchase.