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So I'm making an XBOX Live Indie Game called Souplobstar. Before I get too deep into development, I want to scour the service to find the VERY BEST games available. I want to know what's possible, and I want to know what I'm up against. I've already tried out 50 or so Indie Games, and I'll be doing a periodic 'spotlight' on the games that I feel are worth the free trial, and I'll let you know which ones are worth purchasing.
SO HERE WE GO!
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ZP2K9
by Ska Studios
This is one of those games where screen shots and videos DO NOT convey the incredible amount of FUN to be had. It's a 2D side-scrolling multiplayer shooter with tons of guns, grenades, and powerups. And when I say multiplayer, I don't mean split screen. ZP2K9 has online multiplayer support for up to 10 people. You can also play against AI bots if you're all alone.
Here's what sets ZP2K9 apart from similar games.
1) You can walk on walls and ceilings. Yes. At all times. It doesn't make any sense, but it's totally rad and makes for some incredibly fun moments.
2) You can do this weird Matrix-style slo-mo mid-air floaty thingy. Again, it makes no sense, but it's fun to jump off a cliff, only to do a Matrix float and fire a few shots back at your enemy before free falling to the ground below.
3) POWERUP SUITS. Ok, this is my favorite feature. You can grab suits from the occasional crate that will change the powers and appearance of your player. There is a bat suit that lets you become invisible when hanging from the ceiling, a bee suit that lets you fly, a cyborg suit that gives you faster firing and reload times, a tesla suit that lets you fire electricity along with your bullets, a cat suit that lets you dash super fast and leap farther, a hedgehog suit that doubles your attack power, and MANY MORE.
4) Swords. There are two swords in the game: a katana, and a huge sword that looks like something out of Final Fantasy. These are fun because they knock your opponent back and you can slice in any direction, even while jumping. Combining the sword with the bee suit or bat suit creates some amazing moments.
5) THE BITCH KICK. By performing the bitch kick, you can boot an enemy into a chasm or to the bottom of the ocean for a satisfying "HA HA" kill. I love it.
There are several game type options: Deathmatch, team deathmatch, king of the hill, and capture the flag. We've all seen these before, but that doesn't mean they aren't totally awesome. The stages can become a bit repetitive, as they all look very similar, but once you learn them, you'll begin to appreciate their unique subtleties. There are plenty of rad weapons available, and you can even dual wield certain guns. There are several grenade types as well, so you can certainly develop a unique strategy. You can carry 4 different guns and 2 different grenades at any given time. Certain guns have unlimited ammo, and others do not. You can also swap weapons out if you've already filled all 4 gun slots. There is also an option to edit your character. There are 2 races (human and zombie) with several variations of each.
There is a LOT crammed into this little game for the price.
So what's the price?
80 points.
That's a DOLLAR, folks. This is easily the best dollar I've ever spent on a video game, and I encourage EVERY XBOX 360 owner to buy this. It was developed by Ska Studios, the guys behind Dishwasher and I MADE A GAME WITH ZOMBIES IN IT, so you know it's gonna be good. But the beauty of this service is that you don't have to make a blind purchase. You can try a free demo, and there is no reason not to.
This is by far my favorite XBOX Live Indie Game at the moment, but I have MANY MORE to play through. I'll see you suckaz next time with the XBOX Live Indie Games Spotlight #2, where I'll focus on a game that's all about being as RAD as possible.
BEWARE OF!
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