Doodle Jump for Kinect

Doodle Jump for Kinect

Jump Your Way to Victory!

The other day while I was on the Xbox Live Marketplace, I noticed something new in the Arcade tab. Standing out from the rest of the games was a new Kinect title, which was "Doodle Jump for Kinect." I was already familiar with Doodle Jump from being a huge fan of the mobile game, and I was more than delighted to see it hit the Xbox Live Arcade. I downloaded the game and got right to it, and a couple minutes into it, I realized that I was playing one of the best XBLA games I've played in a while.

Screenshot of Doodle Jump for Kinect in action

Doodle Jump for Kinect is very responsive. Where you step, your little adorable green character steps on the screen. Where you move your hand, he shoots and destroys the monsters who are terrorizing the land. The game is an absolute blast, and the Kinect really seals the deal on this game. It makes the experience even more amazing, and immerses you even more into the world of Doodle Jump. This game really shows how enjoyable it can be using your Kinect for a great gaming experience.

My whole family had a blast with this title. My brother, who is 22, had a great time, along with my 6-year-old sister. We all thought that the game was enjoyable and extremely fun. That shows that its a spectacular game because three people from different age groups thoroughly enjoyed the title. I feel that Doodle Jump for Kinect is one of the best Kinect games out there and is one of my favorite Xbox 360 games in a long time! I would highly recommend Doodle Jump for Kinect to any casual gamer or hardcore gamer, especially due to the fact that I am a hardcore gamer and loved the Kinect title. Doodle Jump for Kinect is a shining star in the Xbox Live Arcade.

The NERDict:

+ Responsive Controls

+ Superb Gameplay

+ Beautiful Environments

+ Fun for All Ages

Rating: 10

Don't Forget to Pick Up Doodle Jump for Kinect! 

Battleblock Theater Review for the Xbox 360

BattleBlock Theater
A Madman's Platformer

If you haven't already seen it all over the Xbox 360 Home, BattleBlock Theater by The Behemoth has hit the Xbox Live Arcade! The game features levels on levels of platforming action for you to enjoy whether it may be by yourself or with a friend either online or on your couch! No matter how you play it, BattleBlock Theater is an amazing game with challenging levels, fun co-op, and some pretty cool multiplayer modes.

BattleBlock Theater starts off with you and your friend, Hatty Hattington aboard the SS Friend Ship when you are shipwrecked on a mysterious island, inhabited by an advanced species of cats. Then, the cats take you and make you act in deadly theater performances, while they put what seems to be a possessed hat on Hatty. From that point on, Hatty begins to work against you. (or you and your friend if playing in Co-Op mode)

In BattleBlock Theater, most of the game consists of basic platforming mechanics as you go through the many deadly levels created by Hatty Hattington. The levels are quite simple at the beginning, but as the game progresses, you require more skill and knowledge to beat the levels, such as how to collect the hairball without dying or how to get the last green crystal in the level. Overall, the gameplay works just fine and is an enjoyable experience.

The sound design for BattleBlock Theater is also fantastic. The music is energetic and always upbeat, which adds an eeriness to the game, since while this happy music is playing, the player is jumping over spikes or running across exploding blocks. The voice acting is also fantastic, and the narrator is very funny. From the opening cutscene, you know right away that you are in for a hilarious, strange, but interesting adventure.

There are 8 different multiplayer modes in the game:

• Soul - Steal the enemy's soul and run away
• Muckle - Easily the most fun multiplayer mode, where either you or you and a teammate will fight against two other players, beating each other up for points
• Challenge - Score the best time on the level given to you
• Grab the Gold - Grab more gold from the golden whale than the other team and put it in the floating safe
• Ball Game - A game mode where you simply throw a ball in a basket
• Horse - Horse is a game mode where the objective is to ride the enemy team's horse to your team's stables to gain points and win the round

Screenshot from BattleBlock Theater's Co-Op Mode
(Split-Screen or Online Multiplayer)

The ability to create levels in the game is very fun, and it adds a whole new way to play the game. You can build levels where you either have to solve puzzles and collect crystals, or you can build levels in which people will battle in. The possibilities are really endless in the level creator, and personally I cannot wait to see some of the crazy things that people will come up with!

BattleBlock Theater in my opinion is one of the must-have downloadable titles of 2013. From it's quirky humor to its addictive gameplay and innovative level design, BattleBlock Theater is well worth its $15 price tag!

The NERDict:

+ Great Sense of Humor

+ Innovative Level Design

+ Spectacular Co-Op Gameplay

+ Fun and Addictive Competitive Multiplayer

Rating: 9.5

Terraria Review for the Xbox 360

Terraria

One Crazy 2D Journey

Part 1 of 2: Discovering Terraria

I first discovered Terraria the day after Easter this year. All of my cards had been opened and I had some money to play around with, so I went onto my Xbox 360 to look around the Marketplace. Then, I got an invite to a friend's Xbox Live party. We talked about Easter and I told him how I got Need for Speed: Most Wanted. He told me what he got, and then he asked me if I had heard of Terraria. I hadn't, but then I went and looked it up in the Xbox Live Marketplace, and I found possibly the best Xbox Live Arcade game out there.

After it downloaded, I was invited to my friend's game. He taught me the basics and gave me some weapons and equipment to start off with. I got the hang of things pretty quickly. Then, I started to explore the open world. I started building houses and getting NPCs (Non-Player Characters) to move into them. I had a blast playing the game. My friend and I played through several days and nights in the game, recruiting more NPCs, getting more hearts, more manna, and more abilities. Then, a couple of my other friends joined our party, discovered Terraria, and later joined our game after doing a couple things in their own worlds.

Part 2 of 2: The Review

Terraria is a game you could get lost in for hours. It is amazing, but time consuming. It took me a couple tries to get my world started and get a house built before night crept upon me and the creatures of it killed me. After I had an established house and a table and chair with some torches, my first NPC moved in with me. Then, after fighting some enemies and getting coins, the shopkeeper moved in with me, making it easier to buy things like boomerangs or ammo for if you are fortunate enough to have a musket like I am.

In Terraria, you can have many things from grappling hooks to laser guns. The possibilities are truly endless. I had a great time playing the game with my friends, and single player is also a blast. It is like a 2d version of Minecraft, but with boss fights and more equipment. (and also NPCs) Overall, Terraria is a great experience and definitely something an Xbox 360 gamer should check out if they have $15 to their name.

The NERDict:

+ NPCs

+ Boss Fights

+ Exploration and Creation is Key

- Rough Beginning

Rating: 9