Colosseum Review

A


Wow. Stop reading my review and go get this. At 400 MP it's the best deal I have come across. But I am getting ahead of myself here. And I was just kidding! Please keep reading.

I had been following this game for awhile as it was undeniable from early versions and screenshots that production value was high and that a strong team was behind it. I've finally had a chance to download and play the full version (which was priced at 800 MP originally, FYI).

The only reason you shouldn't be buying Colosseum is if fighting games just aren't your cup of blood. It's a high-action fighter with an abundance of moves/combos/weapons etc - it's actually more diverse/deep than some AAA fighters you may have played. The cell shaded graphics are gorgeous and I believe special recognition should go to the animator who did a fantastic job of creating tons of fluid animations that basically feels like a comic book come-to-life.

The story is what you might expect (a bit shallow), but this is cleverly mocked by the characters in the game - and the dialogue is actually quite hilarious, delivering jabs at cliches of the fighting game genre. Furthermore, there is a whole Macy's full of unlockable gear that you can buy to upgrade the look of your character. (sorry no lingerie section)

I am just about out of breath, but let me touch upon a couple small critiques.

The deadly "camera plague" can rear it's ugly head sometimes. You can use a button (RB) to adjust it, but sometimes you can't afford to do that when totally surrounded and dying. This is understandably a tough element to perfect and overall it's not something that greatly impacts the experience, but I had a couple "aaarrrrg" moments. Also, while the control scheme is somewhat innovative, that comes with a bit of a learning curve. Using the right analog to attack/combo takes some getting used to - thankfully there is a robust tutorial that you can practice in if need be. There are also three difficulty levels, so cut your teeth on 'easy.'

This is probably the deepest experience that I have had on XBCG so far. While simplicity (graphics and gameplay-wise) is often the foundation of an addictive indie game (which granted, works fine often), Colosseum succeeds in breaking that mold and offering something you could very well expect to find on the shelf of your local game store. Replay value is high (lots of unlockables, and versus modes) and you can easily get 20-30 hours out of it.

For anyone out there that knows how games are developed, the sheer amount of man hours involved, and the skill required to create something as polished as this - jeez, I sort of feel guilty paying less than my daily lunch in NYC. :) Well not THAT guilty, but you get my point. If you haven't tried Colosseum, and aren't adverse to fighting games, you should be playing it.

By the way, I need some tips because I am getting ass whooped. :) Where can I find some strategy guides?!

Ultratron Review

A

A tight retro/arcade style game - seriously loads of fun and just the right amount of challenge. I had played this one on my PC before playing it on my console, and it translates very nicely.

It actually pains me (in the groin area) that Ultratron is not a consistent "most popular" game on XBCG. I fear that this game gets overlooked or wrongly lumped in the 'pass' category due to it's retro look - possibly a victim of the 'clutter,' sort of speak.

You're probably wondering why I gave Ultratron 3 emblems. First, I just ate a whole can of crazy beans, and second, this game has loads of polish and professionalism despite the old skool look. It's in the bones.

The concept is straightforward enough. You're a robot with some sort of laser gun and it's time to kill craploads of bad robots. The first couple levels won't seem like much but when you get rolling you start to see why this game is so addictive and well-made. There's a ton of different enemies that attack with different strategies, lots of powerups with cool effects, and upgrades to your gun (like bouncing bullets, tripleshot, sentry bot, etc.). Part of the strategy is making sure you use the right powerups and choose the right upgrades at the right times. Adding to the chaos are boss levels and ambush levels where all of the baddies spawn at once. (arg! I died here about 5 times until I figured out a better way to fight 'em off)

The Xbox controls are made nicely intuitive - using only the two joysticks, one to aim/fire, and the other to move (your choice on which is which). The SFX are spot on, there are achievements built in, a co-op mode, and high scores to shoot for. For me, the only real shortfall is the music, which in my opinion could have been used to bring a bit more intensity to the action.

Very solid game. If you have any love for the arcade games that captured us back in the day, you need to get this one. (400 MP)