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.
THE HALO 3 MIDNIGHT LAUNCH
As I mentioned yesterday, I had made the decision to head out to my local game shop’s midnight launch for Halo 3. Now, I’ve gone out to these things in the past, and every time I go, I swear that rather than standing on line for hours, next time I’ll just show up at 12:45am and get in with the back of the line. Once again I ignored my own advice and headed out approximately 2 hours before midnight, and once again, the line had already stretched to the end of the block and turned the corner.
(The store is on the far left of the pic & the line turns the corner just past the far right of the pic)
Making matters worse, I had forgotten to charge my cell phone, which left it with little power for me to take pictures or talk with friends who were braving the lines at other stores, my DS was sitting at home on my desk and the nearest WiFi access point was just far enough away to make connecting to the internet via my Palm T|X an impossibility. Things were looking pretty grim.
Fortunately, I was surrounded by a good group of gamers, and since we all share the common language of gaming, the time passed relatively quickly. Relatively being the operative word here – no matter how engaging any conversation was, nothing was going to take one’s mind off the fact that we were lined up like cattle awaiting the slaughter. In talking with the people around me, and observing those coming out of the store after midnight, I was a bit surprised to see just how many people had ordered the Legendary Edition of the game – guess I’m not the only sucker out there. I somehow think that with at least 250,000 of them made that there will be any sort of aftermarket rush for these. (I base that number on the numbering on the back of my Master Chief helmet)
The store itself did an admirable job of running the show – during the course of the night, they ensured that everyone on the line paid their reserve in full so that once midnight came, it would be a relatively quick process of getting people in and out of the store. A raffle was held for the store’s Halo 3 standee and soft drinks were provided free of charge.
Midnight did come, and the line did indeed move more quickly than normal. That said, It still took me 45 minutes to actually get into the store once midnight came, but again, once inside things went pretty quickly. I took my new shiny box and went home to enjoy the unpacking…
Two last things to note here;
1.) I should have a post about the contents of the Legendary Edition (with pictures) up shortly. I wound up massively oversleeping and am currently racing to try and get several things done at once. Don’t blame me, blame Bungie.
2.) To the people who feel the need to perform burn-outs and then tear out of the parking lot at 90 mph, contrary to what you may think, no one thinks you’re cool – we all tend to just say “what a moron” in unison. Sorry to disappoint you.
- Halo 3 – Official website
GOD OF WAR 2 OFFICIAL SITE LIVE
The official site for the highly anticipated sequel to God of War is now live. The Playstation 2 exclusive title is currently scheduled to hit shelves early next year, and looks to pick up right where God of War left off.
"God of War saw Kratos, A mortal warrior, set upon an epic quest to dethrone a god. but his journey did not end there. In God of War II, Kratos sits atop his Olympus throne as the new god of war – far more ruthless than Ares ever was. To end his continued torment, Kratos must journey to the far reaches of the Earth and defeat untold horrors and alter that which no mortal, or god has ever changed, his fate. God of War II sets an epic stage for a devastating mythological war to end all wars." – Official God of War II website
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