XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS UNDERPANTS SLAM!

So this post is a day late, sue me. Because of the holidays and such, it should have been expected… besides, it's not like you're missing all that much…

Yup, if you thought that there'd be something new in the Xbox Live Arcade this week to buy with those points someone gave you for the holidays, you were probably wrong. What we've got this week is Spongebob Squarepants Underpants Slam! – a game that is geared towards kids, and probably is going to be about as entertaining as playing with a box of tissue paper. Maybe it's just me, but any game with a title that sounds like the main character is crapping in their pants is just not going to be high on my list of future purchases. (I'll admit it – I was so non-thrilled about this one, I even forgot it was coming out yesterday)

While I'm really not sure what the story behind this one is, it appears to be a side scrolling platformer, so the kids may indeed like it. As always, a demo is available, so be sure to try it out before shelling out the required 800 points ($10) to purchase it.

Title: Spongebob Squarepants Underpants Slam!
Developer: Blitz Games
Publisher: THQ
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 12/26/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief & Mild Cartoon Violence
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"SpongeBob SquarePants Underpants Slam! is a fast-paced, side-scrolling multiplayer slapstick collect 'em-up, set deep in the ocean. An incredibly powerful storm current has disrupted a Royal Laundry shipment of the undergarments of Neptune, Lord of the Sea, and has spread his unmentionables across the bottom of the ocean. Neptune now calls upon all the commonfish to collect his lost undergarments, and fix this "delicate" situation. He's offered a bounteous reward to the sea creature who collects the most bloomers!

• All the popular characters: Play as all your favorite characters from the animated series, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star, Eugene Krabs, Sandy Cheeks, and Sheldon Plankton.
• Visit familiar environs: Search the kitchens of the Krusty Krab, visit the Flying Dutchman's ship, and explore the depths of the all-new Armoury of Atlantis for rare pairs of pants.
• Wild arcade action: It's every sea creature for him or herself! Use your character's slapstick moves to knock down and slow your opponents, and gain special powers from pickups that allow you to move at super speed, hit twice as hard, or even steal pants from other players!
• Single player modes: Take on the tricky Time Attack Mode where beating the clock means everything, or engage in the full Quest Mode, where you must collect 99 pairs of Neptune's underpants to win the game. 
• Multiplayer game modes: Play Tag Mode, and avoid being "it" at Bikini Bottom. Play with a friend offline or take it online to Xbox LIVE® Arcade with up to four players" - Xbox.com

As for last week's Live Arcade titles, due to the issues surrounding it's release, I never got a chance to try Sensible World of Soccer, so you're on your own for that one. Tempest, on the other hand, suffers from the same fate as all the other "updated" Atari classics – the updated graphics actually hurt the game. As with Asteroids, the damn explosions in the "enhanced" Tempest just ruin the experience by making things difficult to see. How anyone could think these versions are improved is just beyond me. Look, If you love Tempest, go right ahead and pick it up (I did) – but don't expect to be wowed by the updated version of the game.